Florida DUI Defense Lawyer :: Don’t Let Your Fourth of July Celebration End with Your Arrest for DUI

July 3, 2013

The Fourth of July holiday weekend is a very busy time for law enforcement. While most people are out celebrating America’s Independence, police and Florida Highway Patrol are out patrolling the streets setting up DUI checkpoints in an increased effort to arrest people for DUI.

The 4th is the No. 1 deadliest holiday throughout roads and highways across the country all because of intoxicated motorists. In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that throughout the last quarter century, more than half of all fatal crashes on July 4th are attributed to drunk drivers.

Getting arrested for DUI is expensive. According to Insure.com, the latest figures indicate that the average DUI arrest where no one is injured and no property is damaged costs anywhere from $10,000 to $15,000. If someone is harmed or property is damaged, the costs only go up from there.

So, how can you avoid losing your freedom to a DUI arrest this Independence Day? The simple answer is to not combine both drinking and driving. However, if you do happen to be pulled over this holiday period for DUI there are a number of things that can help you avoid a DUI conviction.

• First off, do not panic. The best thing to do is to remain cool and collected and understand that nothing you do or say will get you off the hook just yet.
• Always be as polite as possible. You will never benefit from arguing with law enforcement. In fact, a bad attitude will only make a terrible situation worse. Remember, argumentative behavior is often linked to intoxication, which can only strengthen the DUI case against you.
• Never answer any questions regarding how much you have had to drink. Besides providing the arresting officer with your information, such as your driver’s license and registration, you do not have to answer any questions about what, if any, alcohol you may have consumed. Politely inform police that you will need to speak with a lawyer before answering any questions.
• Say as little as possible. Many people try and help themselves out of a DUI arrest by chatting it up with the arresting officer. DO NOT make any unnecessary statements to police as everything you say will indeed be used against you.

While you may be unaware of this, the police departments throughout the state of Florida as well as the Florida Highway Patrol all increase their DUI enforcement over the Fourth of July holiday. If you are arrested for a July 4th DUI, this unfortunate experience can land you in county jail for the evening. The best thing you can do to help yourself is to familiarize yourself with your rights. A Florida DUI Defense Lawyer at Whittel & Melton can make sure the police properly detained you and answer the following questions:

• Was the stop of your vehicle legal?
• Did police have the right to ask you to perform any field sobriety tests?
• Were police correct in taking your driver’s license?
• Did police have the right to ask you to submit to a breath or blood test?
• Was your DUI arrest legal?

Despite the circumstances of your DUI arrest, A Florida DUI Attorney at Whittel & Melton can help guide you through this unpleasant ordeal. If you or someone you know is arrested this Fourth of July, please contact us as soon as possible at 866-608-5529. We can begin protecting you immediately!

From all of us at Whittel & Melton, have a safe and happy Fourth of July!