16 Nov Tips to Avoid a Holiday DUI in Arizona
With friends, family and loved ones gathering and celebrating this holiday season, a holiday DUI in Arizona–the state with the harshest DUI laws in the entire country–is the last thing anyone should have to deal with. Unfortunately, during this time of year DUI arrests only accelerate, not decline. In 2013, the state of Arizona deployed a DUI task force and arrested over 4,000 people during the holiday season (November 24th through January 1st) alone! You can bet they will be out in full force once again this year.
With that in mind here are a few helpful tips to help keep you with family behind a dinner table, and not behind bars.
- First and foremost, remember to drink responsibly and designate a sober driver or take an Uber or a cab if need be.
- Before driving, check and doublecheck that all of your lights are on and functioning in the evening and check that your signals are working as well.
- Especially during this time of year. follow all signals and rules of the road. Avoid speeding, but don’t drive too slow.
- If you are pulled over, do so in a timely manner, in a safe location, and keep your hands visible and on the steering wheel. Provide the requested documents to the officer but avoid breathing directly at the officer if you have had any drinks that evening.
- Be polite but don’t speak any more than you need to. Don’t provide any additional information that can be used against you.
- Do not agree to the pen/eye test–also known as the horizontal gaze test. Refuse any further field sobriety tests as well. These are all voluntary and should be avoided.
- If you are asked to take the breath test/breathalyzer, you may want to avoid agreeing to this if you believe you might be over the legal limit even if you feel you are completely in control.
- If you are arrested, remain silent and contact Arizona DUI lawyer Todd Coolidge immediately.
Are you facing a holiday DUI in Arizona that’s making this a not-so-joyous season? Don’t fight the charges alone. Contact Certified Criminal Law Specialist Todd Coolidge for a consultation today.
*The information in this blog is for general information purposes only. This blog post should not be taken to constitute a formal recommendation or professional advice. We exclude all representations, warranties, legal liability or responsibility relating to its content.
Images used under creative commons license – commercial use (11/15/2016) versageek (Flickr)