Holiday DUI Crackdown in Washington State

The holiday season is here. This means extra patrol officers will be out as part of the Washington State holiday DUI crackdown. The Washington Traffic Safety Commission is funding extra patrols officers from 120 agencies to “make sure you are arrested and successfully prosecuted,” as one of the agencies put it.

Patrol increase during holiday season is nothing new. Every year we hear on the radio and read in newspapers that there will be extra patrol officers looking for drunk drivers. Yet, every year hundreds of drivers end up drinking and driving.

The monetary and emotional costs of a crash or a DUI arrest are too great to drink and drive. DUI penalties include jail time, driver’s license suspension, probation costs, increased insurance rates, and the list goes on.

We put together a list of tips to help you avoid a DUI. This list is nothing new, but it is worth repeating.

Do not become another statistic in the Washington State holiday DUI crackdown. Get a designated driver. Call a cab. Download the Uber app on your smartphone. If everyone followed this advice we would not need the additional tips.

If you do end up drinking and driving, here are some tips to help you avoid a conviction during this year’s holiday DUI crackdown.

If you are pulled over under suspicion of driving drunk, do not attempt to talk your way out of the arrest. The more you say to the officer, the higher your chances of getting convicted in court. Other than providing the officer with your driver’s license, registration, and proof of insurance, you are not required to speak to the officer. So resist the urge to answer questions like “how much have you had to drink?”

Decline to perform field sobriety tests. If the officer asks you to step out of the vehicle, you must comply. However, field sobriety tests are voluntary and you do not have to perform them. Declining to perform field sobriety tests does not imply your guilt.

Do not refuse a blood or breath test. Under Washington State’s implied consent law, you must submit to breath or blood test. Refusing to submit to a blood or breath test will result in harsher penalties such as longer jail sentence and loss of your driver’s license.

Lastly, contact an experienced DUI lawyer as soon as possible. At Community Law Firm, PLLC, we are committed to aggressively defending people accused of driving under the influence. Getting pulled over during the holiday DUI crackdown is one thing. Getting convicted of DUI is another.

CONCLUSION

Here is a quick summary to help you avoid become part of the holiday DUI crackdown:

Get a sober driver.
If you are pulled over, provide only your driver’s license, registration, and proof of insurance.
Do not perform field sobriety tests.
Do submit to breath or blood test.
Call an experienced DUI lawyer. Our number is (206) 771-4343.

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This article is written by Greg Sarkisyan, a lawyer at Community Law Firm, PLLC. If you have any questions or need help with your Washington State DUI case, call us at (206) 771-4343 or e-mail us at Help@CommunityLawPLLC.com.