During summer holidays like the Fourth of July and Memorial Day, people like to gather in celebration at picnics, parties, barbecues, etc. Unfortunately, it is easy to have a drink or two too many at a holiday celebration and test positive for intoxication in a traffic stop as a result.
Since most police departments ramp up their anti-drunk driving measures during the holidays, your odds of a DUI arrest increase at these times. Your chances of a false or wrongful DUI arrest may also increase, as officers are especially vigilant about suspected intoxication.
Are extra officers deployed?
Putting additional officers in the field is one of the most common ways that law enforcement agencies attempt to deter holiday drunk driving. Most departments receive government grants allowing them to pay for overtime if necessary to ensure the roads are sufficiently monitored.
Do officers patrol certain areas?
Many departments do. They may use data from previous holidays as a drunk driving predictive model. They may also keep a closer eye on certain types of roads like interstate highways and county or state roads where drunk driving accidents frequently occur.
Can the police conduct DUI checkpoints?
In Maryland, organized sobriety checkpoints can occur anytime, regardless of the time of year. These checkpoints allow officers to talk with drivers up close to determine if there is probable cause to test for intoxication.
Holidays can be hectic for members of law enforcement departments. Since they are human like you, they are vulnerable to making mistakes in the heat of the moment. If you can prove an error or a rights violation occurred during your traffic stop, it might increase your odds of overcoming DUI charges.