With holiday travel expected to increase, just like Thanksgiving, local and state law enforcement will be out on the roads trying to nab as many people as possible for DUI in Garden Grove and throughout Orange County.
Our Orange County DUI defense lawyers understand that you may have to travel this holiday season to visit family and friends. And there may be a possibility that you will end up having a few drinks to relax and enjoy time off from work or while on vacation.
Our lawyers urge you to use good judgment if you consume alcohol, given that police will likely step up their patrols, conduct DUI checkpoints and attempt to make as many arrests as possible between Christmas and New Year's Eve. While it may be a relaxing time with lower stress in your family, this is one of the busiest times of the year for police.
NBC 4 recently reported that during the Thanksgiving holiday, the California Highway Patrol says DUI arrests in Los Angeles County increased 10 percent from last year's holiday enforcement. But statewide, there were 7 percent fewer arrests during the same time. About 70 fewer people were charged this year than last. The TV station reports that 903 people statewide were arrested and there were 14 fatalities.
The California Office of Traffic Safety keeps track of holiday DUI arrest numbers and reports that in 2010, there were 743 DUI arrests in Orange County between Dec. 17 and Jan. 2 -- the typical holiday enforcement period.
The 2009 numbers are much lower because officials only measured a three-day period from Jan. 1 to 3, but in that short time period, there were 110 arrests. In Los Angeles County, there were 1,923 DUI arrests during the winter holiday period of 2010, down significantly from the 2,622 DUI arrests in 2009, the office reports.
Automobile group AAA is estimating a slight increase of 1.4 percent in holiday travel. The Automobile Group of Southern California estimates that 7.13 million local residents will take trips at the end of the year between Dec. 23 and Jan. 2.
Nearly 90 percent of the people who are expected to travel 50 miles or more from home are believed to be traveling via vehicle. That's a 2.5 percent increase from last year. More than 11 million people statewide are expected to travel, with the most popular destinations being Las Vegas, San Diego, San Francisco, the Grand Canyon and Disneyland in Anaheim.
Keep in mind that law enforcement has access to this information and other information and will be planning accordingly. It's likely they will deploy units throughout Orange County and attempt to make thousands of arrests throughout Southern California.
Don't let a DUI arrest ruin your holidays. Take comfort knowing that while this may spoil your holiday plans, hiring an experienced Garden Grove DUI defense lawyer means having someone stand by your side and fight the state's charges.
Contact Houman Fakhimi trial attorney at (714) 705-6701 as soon as possible if you are charged with a crime. Protecting your rights and setting up an aggressive defense at the beginning stages is critical in defending against criminal charges.