The Wednesday night before Thanksgiving is one of the busiest DWI nights of the year for police departments. A combination of the holiday spirit, a long weekend, and people going out to see old friends leads to many impaired drivers on the roads. Law enforcement is well aware of this pattern so there is heightened DWI enforcement on the streets. Starting the Wednesday before, but lasting throughout Thanksgiving Weekend, law enforcement will utilize sobriety checkpoints and DWI saturation zones in an effort to get drunk drivers off the roads.
It is important to drive responsibly over the holidays, but it also not illegal to have a few drinks and drive so long as you are not intoxicated. Many law enforcement ad campaigns, especially around the holidays, convey the message that if you have anything to drink then it is illegal to drive. This is simply not true. Missouri’s legal limit, which is the blood alcohol content when a person is presumed to be intoxicated, is still 0.08%.
Despite the legal limit, police are vigilant over the holidays about arresting anyone they suspect to be even close to the legal limit. This extra vigilance can lead to the arrest and prosecution of many borderline cases. It is extremely important for a good lawyer to examine the facts and circumstances of any drunk driving arrest, but especially arrests that happen when a person may or may not be intoxicated.
If you, a friend, or loved one has been arrested for suspicion of DWI then it is important to contact attorney Jason Korner for a consultation.