The night before Thanksgiving marks the start of a festive and fun-filled holiday season, but a dangerous trend accompanies the celebrations: each holiday season, alcohol-related fatalities and injuries, especially those related to DUI, increase dramatically compared to the rest of the year. This is true coast-to-coast including in Fresno. Data gathered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that Fresno is one of the deadliest cities for DUI fatalities. Between 2010 and 2012 there were 80 DUI-related deaths in Fresno which is nearly twice the national average for cities of similar size. Many of these fatalities occur over holiday weekends. Over the next several days and months, police will be stepping up DUI patrols and DUI checkpoints.
Though drinking and driving is a terrible problem, so are overly aggressive law enforcement efforts. If you are arrested for suspicion of DUI, contact a criminal defense attorney immediately. In their zeal to protect the public, law enforcement officials may violate your rights. Remember: you are not guilty until proven otherwise and a defense attorney can defend your constitutional rights.