In South Carolina, you could cross paths with a police officer at any moment. Most police departments frequently have officers out on road patrol looking for people breaking the speed limit, racing on public roads or otherwise driving dangerously.
When officers spot a traffic infraction, they will stop someone and either issue a ticket or potentially arrest them. Driving under the influence (DUI) charges are some of the most serious traffic-related allegations an individual might face.
Although you can get arrested any day for impaired driving, your risk is higher around the holidays.
More enforcement comes from more drunk driving collisions
Traffic safety statistics play a major role in establishing law enforcement priorities. One of the reasons that drunk driving is a major priority for police departments is that impaired drivers cause some of the most tragic collisions that occur, most of which would be preventable if everyone involved were sober.
There are certain times when drunk driving collisions are more likely and therefore officers are more attentive to the behavior of people on the road. The rate at which drunk driving collisions occurs is in a constant state of flux, but it typically surges upward around major holidays.
Many people celebrate with their families using alcohol, and others may self-medicate with alcohol because of holiday-related stress. Whatever the reason, crash rates tend to increase around holidays and the weekends immediately before or after them. Therefore, police activity also increases. You are more likely to encounter officers on traffic patrol aggressively screening for alcohol and intoxication or sobriety checkpoint around the holidays.
Officers often find what they look for during a stop
When a police officer approaches a situation expecting to find evidence of impaired driving, that is often exactly what they will do. Although there might be other explanations for is that make an officer think he had too much to drink, they may not listen to you or accept information that would counter their presumption when they initially stopped your vehicle.
Depending on what evidence the police officer gathers, you may have several options for defending yourself. Fighting back against DUI charges can help you prevent the holidays from becoming an anniversary of a life-altering mistake.