Memorial Day weekend is considered by most to be the beginning of summer. Because of that, many Alabamians will be out on the roads this holiday weekend, enjoying the warm weather.
AAA predicts that nationwide there will be nearly 35 million motorists driving 50 miles or more from their homes. That’s a hike of about 100,000 drivers, despite the average price for regular gasoline sitting at about a dollar more than it was this time last year.
For that reason, many local law enforcement agencies will step up their patrols of the roads with the goal of writing traffic tickets and looking for drunk drivers. Birmingham DUI lawyers urge you to be safe this holiday weekend. Drink responsibly and use designated drivers or public transportation, where available.
But, inevitably, there will be drivers who get arrested and charged with DUI in Alabama this Memorial Day weekend. Consider the numbers last year during a ten-day period around Memorial Day from the Alabama Department of Public Safety:
Total traffic arrests: 24,755
DUI: 362
Speeding: 8,286
Following too closely: 145
Improper lane change: 173
Seat belt/child restraint: 6,907
Non-traffic arrests: 716
Warnings: 3,706
Assists: 604
All of those 362 drivers arrested and charged with DUI deserve an aggressive defense in court. Many are first-time DUI offenders in Birmingham who were just over the legal blood alcohol level limit of .08. Some may have a prior offense from years ago when they were 18, but adding a second offense could cause them to lose their job and go to jail or prison.
A good portion of those arrested may be completely innocent, depending on a range of factors, from a bad breathalyzer reading, improperly conducted field sobriety tests or medical conditions that caused officer error. An arrest simply is one side of the story and Alabama DUI lawyers are there to tell the other side.
Boaters should also be cautious this weekend. Alabama Marine Police will be patrolling Lake Martin and other bodies of water throughout Alabama this weekend, al.com reports. According to marine police, 95 boating accidents were reported last year, causing 21 fatalities.
