In a recent article by The Press-Enterprise, law enforcement agencies across Southern California urged people to stay away from drinking and driving as they celebrate the St. Patrick’s Day holiday. Local police agencies the Sheriffs departments will initiate periods of extra patrol to monitor drivers and pedestrians for signs of trouble. According to the article, Saint Patrick’s Day 2016, ended with 60 people nationwide losing their lives in drunk-driving car crashes. Also, last year in California the California Highway Patrol made 148 arrests statewide for driving under the influence and 66 people were injured in in DUI collisions state wide on St. Patrick’s Day. Due to these unfortunate recurring incidents, the authorities listed some alternatives to driving buzzed or drunk such as calling a sober driver, using a rideshare app like Uber or Lyft, or celebrating at home to stay off the road.
Celebrating any holiday with family and friends are always grand opportunities to catch up, reminisce on the old days, or laugh about the good memories. Holidays are a fun time, but they can also be a time of tragedy when drivers get behind the wheel of a car while under the influence. The reality of our society is that alcohol is a prevalent part of many festivities. Adult, responsible drinking harms no one. When that same party-goer decides to drink and drive, that is when things begin to turn ugly. When an individual decides to drive while intoxicated they make the conscious decision to through caution to the wind and endanger innocent lives. If you know you will be drinking, plan to be transported by a sober driver, or call for a ride from a ride sharing company. It is easy to be part of the solution than part of the problem. If you don’t, you might want to start planning on a gift for your lawyer for Christmas.
When traffic collisions happen in California due to drunk driving, the DMV goes after the liable driver’s license to suspend or revoke his or her driving privilege. A hearing must be scheduled by the affected driver to have the opportunity to fight to maintain their license. This process can be very long and difficult to go through alone, especially if you know nothing about how the process works. It is important note that the DMV administrative hearing to suspend a license is a distinctly separate issue from any criminal charges brought by the court.
If you or someone you know is at risk of losing their driving privilege due to DUI after the holiday, find a team that can help support you during this challenging process. California Drivers Advocates is a firm that can help defend drivers at the DMV when their license and driving privileges are at risk of suspension or revocation. Visit the California Drivers Advocates team at their website or contact them at 1-888-281-5244. They will be happy to answer any questions you may have at no obligation.
