I love the holidays. Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Years, family and friends all around. Beer and wine flowing like water. Everyone is in a cheery mood. Except for the cops. The cops are not in a cheery mood because they think that everyone that leaves a Christmas party is drunk and is going to endanger everyone else on the road. Trust me. I know. I am a Seattle DUI attorney, and I every year the number of people that call me around the holidays far outweighs the number of calls at any other time of year (though Fourth of July is a close second).
And the thing is, the cops are not shy about telling you what they are doing. In the past week alone I’ve read at least three articles letting everone know that the cops are going to be out on DUI emphasis patrols over the holidays. The headlines say things like: “Cops Increase DUI Patrols in December”; “DUI Patrols Beefing Up for Coming Weekends”; and “Issaquah Police, Other Agencies Plan Increased DUI Patrols.” So the information is out there – drive at your own risk during the holidays.
When I talk to friends and family about this, I always strongly caution them to take every reasonable step necessary not to get pulled over by the cops during this time of the year. I’m a good DUI attorney, and I’d definitely help them out if they got in trouble, but in the end, it really isn’t worth taking the chance of getting caught and having to go through the process of fighting for your reputation, your future, and often your livelihood.
So, next time you go to that holiday party or show up for that Christmas dinner, drink and dance and chat to your heart’s delight. But please set up the situation in advance so you don’t have to make the decision as you are leaving whether or not you are going to drive home. This means arrange for a cab beforehand, designate (and pay – this is the motivation many people need to stay sober) a designated driver for the night, rent out a limo, or come up with something else so that you don’t find yourself behind the wheel. Your family will thank you, your job will thank you, and your reputation will thank you.
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