Local police will be out in full force throughout the Fourth of July Holiday in search of those who have had too much alcohol and are behind the wheel of a vehicle.
Fourth of July is one of the deadliest days on the road. Half of the fatal car crashes on Fourth of July weekend in 2012 involved drunk drivers.
Northern California DUI Checkpoints:
San Francisco – Cesar Chavez St. and Van Ness Ave/Lombard and Divisadero Streets – 5:00 pm – 2:00 am
San Rafael – Point San Pedro Road East of Mooring Road for East bound traffic – 6:00 pm – 2:00 am
Novato –Areas of the City – 6:00 p.m. – 1:00 am
Sonoma/Santa Rosa – Areas of the City- 6:00 p.m. – 1:00 am
The following are easy steps to have a safe and happy Cinco de Mayo:
- Designate a sober driver
- Take a taxi
- Call a sober friend or family member
- Find a sober friend to walk home with you, or refrain from walking all together.
- If someone is about to drive while impaired, take their keys and help them make a safe travel arrangement to where they are going
- Ask to stay at hosts home for the night
- Do not sleep in your parked vehicle – it is possible to get a DUI without even driving
Consequences of Drunk Driving:
While death and injury are the serious possible consequences of drunk driving, there are other negative considerations that can affect lives for many years, including loss of a driver license, vehicle impoundment, jail time, lawyer fees, court costs and more.
There are substantial legal and financial costs of drunk driving. Violators often face:
- Jail time.
- Loss of driver’s license.
- Higher insurance rates.
- Other unanticipated expenses, such as attorney fees, court costs, car towing and repairs, and lost wages due to time off from work.
Top Ten List of questions if you are pulled over for suspicion of DUI.
- Have your license and registration ready to hand to police if pulled over. You don’t want to fumble around looking for those documents in front of the police when you are pulled over.
- Do not answer any police questions. Politely refuse to answer questions about where you have been and whether you have had anything to drink.
- If you are asked to exit the car you must comply. Be very careful in the way you exit the car – if you stumble this will be a clue for officers that could lead to your arrest.
- Refuse to take the field sobriety tests. Don’t recite the alphabet. Don’t follow the pen light with your eyes. Politely refuse. These tests are very difficult to take under ideal conditions. On a side road in the middle of the night they are much harder for anyone to take – regardless of whether or not you have been drinking.
- Don’t question the officer. Just politely refuse to answer questions and to take the tests that are designed to make you fail.
- If you are taken to the station and asked whether you would like to make a phone call – you should make it.
- If you are taken to the station and asked whether you would like a witness – you should request one and try to get someone to the station to view your condition.
- We can’t give you advice on whether or not to blow into the in-toxilizer at the station. If you refuse to blow you will automatically lose your license for a year and there’s no way to even try to get a temporary permit for at least six months.
- Remember not to speak at the station without an attorney present. Always be polite, but be firm in refusing to answer questions (other than your name etc.).
- Always be nice! Being a jerk will always hurt your case.
[Independence Day – July 4th/5th, from 6:00 pm to 6:00 am] AAA’s Tipsy Tow Program offers a free tow for drinking drivers in Northern California from 6 pm on most major holidays (read: popular times to get wasted) until 6 am the next morning, in Northern California, Nevada and Utah. And you don’t even have to be a AAA member. For Tipsy Tow, call (800) 222-4357 (AAA-HELP) and tell the operator, “I need a Tipsy Tow” for a free tow of up to 10 miles.
If you have any questions regarding a DUI case in California,
Feel free to contact my office and set up a FREE consultation at (415) 552-1215.
Christopher Morales
