drinking and driving | Apple Valley Bail Bonds

Published March 21, 2018

Do You Hate DUI Checkpoints? Here’s Why You Shouldn’t

Whenever a holiday that involves a lot of drinking rolls around, you can bet that there will be an increase in DUI checkpoints. With Saint Patrick’s Day right around the corner, you will definitely be seeing more of these checkpoints.

Most people do not like DUI checkpoints, and for obvious reasons. Checkpoints like these slow the flow of traffic and can cause gridlock. When a person has somewhere they want to be, getting stuck at a checkpoint can be understandably frustrating. However, while DUI checkpoints can be annoying, the police officers create them for a reason.

Roughly 800 people are injured by drunk driving accidents every single day, and that is without the excuse of a holiday to start drinking. In an effort to reduce the amount of accidents that could occur around a holiday, local police setup DUI checkpoints to catch people who are driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Going through a checkpoint may be slow going, but it is incredibly easy if you have not been drinking. When you arrive at a checkpoint, an officer will wave you forward. The officer will then ask a few questions such as:

• Where are you going?
• Where are you coming from?
• Have you been drinking?

After all of the questions have been answered, if everything checks out, the officer will send you on your way. However, if the officer suspects that you have been drinking, they will ask you to pull over to the side where another officer will perform a more thorough investigation. If it is determined that you have been drinking, then you will be arrested for DUI.

Driving while under the influence of any substance is never a good idea. Substances like alcohol affect a person’s abilities to make good decisions and their control over their motor skills. Getting behind the wheel of a vehicle while drunk endangers the driver’s life, as well as the lives of every person that they pass on the road. DUI checkpoints help catch drunk drivers before they have a chance to hurt anyone, thereby making the roads safer for everyone around any day where people will be consuming more alcohol than usual.

Published February 12, 2018

What Is a Watson Murder Charge?

This is one of those many legal terms out there that worry people the moment they hear it. They have no idea what the term can mean, and that causes quite a bit of fear. When someone is facing a Watson Murder charge, they should be very concerned.

A Watson Murder charge occurs when a person commits DUI and kills someone as a result. The name for this charge comes from the ruling in the People v. Watson court case. This allows someone to be charged of second degree murder if they kill someone while driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

A Watson Murder charge is a felony offence, and comes with very hefty penalties. A person convicted of a Watson Murder charge will face 15 years, to life in a California state prison. They will also face a fine that can be as much as $10,000.

Driving while under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol is never a good idea. Doing so not only puts the driver at risk, but risks the lives of everyone else on the road. If a person accidently kills someone while committing DUI, then they can count on receive a harsh punishment. This just gives more reasons to never drink and drive.

Published January 3, 2018

Partying too Hard

The official countdown to the New Year hasn’t started just quite yet, but your party planning for the New Year may have. Whether you plan on staying in, or going out, plan your New Year’s celebration wisely. This is the time of year where DUI checkpoints are around every corner, so don’t drive drunk, and remember your driver’s license.

On top of being responsible, try to be kind to your body as well. PreventionLane.org has several tips on how to be save when consuming alcohol. The first tip is to know your limit, and stick to it. Consuming too much alcohol can land you or a loved one in the emergency room with alcohol poisoning. When consuming high amounts of alcohol it is wise to keep your body hydrated with water and eat a well-balanced meal beforehand.

Prevention Lane also recommends slowing down and sipping your drinks. Along with sipping your drinks, it is also suggested that you alternate between alcohol and water. While you’re alternating between water and your drink, also try to space out the drinks. The faster you consume your drinks, the faster you will become intoxicated.

Most importantly, have a designated driver and friend. The more you drink the lower your ambitions and cognitive abilities get. Having a friend to help guide you and make safe decisions, can help you have a successful New Year Party.

Published December 19, 2017

More DUI Checkpoints around Holidays

If you are out driving around near the holidays, you might have noticed an increase in DUI checkpoints. This is typical of any holiday where people drink more alcohol than usual. Officers know that drinking will increase around the holidays, which will lead to an increase in drunk drivers.

The goal of these DUI checkpoints is to reduce the amount of drunk drivers that are on the road. By doing this, officers can save hundreds of lives from being involved in a drunk driving accident. While checkpoints may slow down traffic, they help keeping everyone on the road safe.

Many people do not know that they are allowed to avoid DUI checkpoints, provided they do so without breaking any traffic laws. This is why DUI checkpoint locations are announced ahead of time, to allow people to plan their routes accordingly.

When a person approaches a checkpoint, they can expect to run into a bit of traffic. When they get to the front of their line they should wait until an officer motions for them to move forward. From there, the officer will ask a few questions, and may ask to see the driver’s license and registration. After this, if the officer has no reason to suspect that the driver has been drinking, the driver will be allowed to continue to their destination.

However, if the officer has reason to believe that the driver has been drinking, the driver will need to pull over to a designated area. From there, an officer will conduct a field sobriety test to officially determine if the driver is drunk. Depending on the situation, the driver could then be arrested, forced to sit in a drunk tank, or need to wait for a sober driver to pick them up.

DUI checkpoints may slow down traffic, but they help save lives by keeping drunk drivers off of the streets. It is only natural that more checkpoints start popping up around days where heavy drinking occurs.

Published December 7, 2017

More Checkpoints Around Holidays

DUI checkpoints can be intimidating to people, even when they have done nothing wrong. When it comes to DUI checkpoints, the only people who need to worry, are the ones who were drinking before they got behind the wheel of their vehicle. These checkpoints increase in frequency around holidays, especially ones that involve a lot of partying.

The police know that people tend to drink more around holidays. This leads to an increase in drunk driving incidents. That is why the police set up more DUI checkpoints around holidays like Christmas and New Year’s. The goal is to save lives by reducing the amount drunk driving incidents that can occur.

When a person comes across a checkpoint, they will likely encounter a line of cars. One by one, a team of officers will each call forward a vehicle to interview the driver. The officers will ask where the driver is headed, where they came from, and have they been drinking. They will also ask to see the driver’s license and registration.

So long as the driver cooperates, and the officer does not suspect that the driver has been drinking, the driver will be able to go on their way. However, if the officer does suspect that the driver has been drinking, then the driver will be asked to pull over to the side. From there, another officer will likely issue a field sobriety test. If the driver fails this, he or she will be held until they sober up, or someone comes to pick them up.

DUI checkpoints are nothing to be afraid of. They are only meant to catch drunk drivers. These checkpoints catch hundreds of drunk drivers, and keep the streets safe for everyone on the road.

Published November 29, 2017

DUI Checkpoints and Holidays

Whenever holidays roll around, especially big ones that involve parties and drinking, you can expect to see an increase in DUI checkpoints. These checkpoints help police officers discover drunk drivers before they have a chance to cause any accidents. The checkpoints increase around holidays because officers know that people are more likely to drink during these times.

Some people find DUI checkpoints annoying, and it is completely understandable. These checkpoints do tend to slow down traffic wherever they are set up, no matter how quickly the officers are at running them. This is why it is legal for people to avoid DUI checkpoints if they want, provided they do not break any traffic laws to do so.

However, even though DUI Checkpoints can be annoying, they are incredibly helpful. They remove drunk drivers off the road before anyone gets injured. These checkpoints help prevent thousands of injuries and save hundreds of lives.

Coming across a DUI checkpoint is nothing to worry about. An officer will motion for you to pull up and will then ask you some questions. The officer will ask where you are going, where you are coming from, and have you been drinking. The officer may also ask to see your license and registration. As long as everything checks out, and the officer has no reason to expect that you might have been drinking, they will send you on your way.

If the officer does think a driver has been drinking, they will have the driver pull over to the side. Depending on how drunk the driver is, they may arrest the person or have him sit in a drunk tank until sober.

No one should ever get behind the wheel of a vehicle while drunk. Unfortunately, hundreds of people do it on a daily basis. This causes thousands of accidents and harms thousands of people. This is why officers set up checkpoints to try and reduce that number.

Published October 23, 2017

DUI Checkpoints on Halloween

Drinking and driving is never a good idea. Unfortunately, thousands of people decide to do so every day, especially around holidays. This includes Halloween. People are out and about partying and having fun when they decide they are not too drunk to drive. They get behind the wheel of a vehicle, and inevitably cause an accident.

This is horrible on any day of the year, but can be infinitely worse on Halloween due to the increase in foot traffic caused by children trick or treating. This is why police officers are so determined to stop drunk drivers on Halloween. One of the best ways that they do this is by setting up DUI checkpoints.

DUI checkpoints help law enforcement officers find drivers who are driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. This is done by setting up the checkpoint on a road that is known to be well traveled by people who have been drinking. The officers will restrict the flow of traffic down to a few lanes, and quickly interview every driver they passes through. They will ask each driver a few questions, and look closely for any signs of intoxication.

If the driver doesn’t show any signs of inebriation, then they will be free to go on their way. However, if the officer suspects that the driver is under the influence of something, the driver will be asked to pullover to the side. The driver will then have to take a field sobriety test, and if they fail that, they can be taken into custody.

While this may slow down traffic, it is all for a good reason. On Halloween, kids are all over the streets as the go on their annual hunt for candy. No one wants to hear a story about a drunk driver killing someone on a normal day. On Halloween, the story could be much worse.

Published October 18, 2017

Halloween and DUI Checkpoints

Halloween is a time for fun and games. For kids, this means trick or treating. For adults, this means parties, which will typically involve alcohol. The police and other local law enforcement are aware of this fact. They know people will be drinking during Halloween, and some of those people will think that getting behind the wheel of a vehicle is a good idea.

Drinking and driving is a bad enough idea on any day of the year, but it is especially dangerous on Halloween. This is due to the fact that there will be hundreds of kids roaming the streets trick or treating. This can increase the odds of someone getting hurt due to drunk driving.

In order to prevent as many accidents as possible from happening, local police will be setting up DUI checkpoints. They may seem like a nuisance, but they are there to keep people safe.

At a typical DUI checkpoint, the road will be restricted, and officers will be stopping vehicles to speak with the drivers. In most instances, the officer will simply ask for the driver’s name, and where the driver is coming from and going to. As long as the officer does not see any obvious signs of intoxication, the driver will be allowed to go on his way.

However, if the officer suspects that the driver is under the influence of drugs or alcohol, the driver will be asked to pull over to the side of the road. There, another officer will have the driver conduct a field sobriety test. If the driver fails this, than he or she will be taken into custody.

Drunk drivers cause hundreds of injuries, and roughly 36 deaths a day. Those numbers tend to grow around drinking holidays, which is why officers setup DUI Checkpoints. These checkpoints help keep the roadways safe for everyone out there. So, if you plan on going out and having something to drink this Halloween, be sure to do so responsibly. Assign a designated driver, or get a taxi, Lyft, or Uber. Doing this will help make sure everyone gets home safely.

Published June 6, 2017

Is Driving While Hungover Ok?

Everyone knows that driving while drunk is a bad idea. While drunk you have poor motor control, and lack a sense of adequate risk assessment. Basically, you can’t control your actions well, and you do things that you wouldn’t normally do while sober. It is easy to see why people should not be driving in this state of inebriation.

However, what many people do not realize, is that driving while hungover can be just as bad. When a person is hungover, they may not have any more alcohol in their system, but they are experiencing other symptoms. People who are hungover are usually experiencing sleep deprivation, dehydration, and short-term alcohol withdrawal. The symptoms of all of these can make driving difficult and dangerous for the person.

A study conducted by researchers at Utrecht University in the Netherlands found that hungover drivers drove worse than drivers who had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.05%. The drivers exhibited erratic behavior and slowed reaction times.

Similar results were found by a study conducted at the University of West England.

If a person was out drinking the night before, he or she should think twice before getting behind the wheel the next morning. Doing so could be as disastrous as if he or she had driven the night before. After a night of drinking, a person should take it easy the next morning. Stay at home, rest, and get hydrated. Doing this will be much nicer than driving anyways, and it will be safer too.

Published June 4, 2017

How To Answer: Have You Been Drinking?

If you have never been pulled over for a DUI before, you may wonder how you should answer when asked if you have been drinking after having a drink or 2. As a United States citizen, you have the right against self-incrimination. This means that you do not have to answer that question.

However, that does not mean you have the right to lie to the officer, or ignore his or her requests. If the officer asks for your license and registration, you should provide it. Lying, will only make things worse for you. The officer will be able to tell if you have had too much alcohol. If you admit to having a two drinks, when you really had 6, you will still be asked to take a field sobriety and a breathalyzer test. These tests will show how many drinks you truly had, and will cause the officer to disregard anything you say from that point on.

If you choose to not answer the question, you can inform the officer that you would rather not say. You can also say that you would like to speak with your attorney. Asking to speak to your attorney cannot be used against you. Remaining silent does not mean you will be allowed to leave. Chances are, you will still need to take a field sobriety and a breathalyzer test. Remaining silent simply keeps you from admitting guilt, or lying to the officer.

Your final option is to just be up front and honest with the officer. You cannot be legally be arrested for drunk driving if your Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) is under 0.08%. In this instance, if you have only recently had one or two drinks, you should be okay. This is even truer if there was an hour or more time between the 2 drinks. You may still have to take a field sobriety and breathalyzer test in this situation. However, there is a chance that the officer might deem that you are capable of driving and let you go on your way.

Ultimately, the best way to avoid this kind of situation, is to have a plan ready when drinking will be involved. Either designate someone as the driver so that he or she will not drink, or get a ride from a taxi, Uber, or Lyft. This way, you will be safe, and you will not have to worry about getting pulled over.