Some call it “Blackout Wednesday,” others call it “Drunksgiving” – it is the night before Thanksgiving and there is often a spike in DUI arrests. The reason? Many people go home for the holidays and meet up with friends on Thanksgiving eve. It is a busy night for many bars.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration the number of DUI related fatalities double from the Tuesday before Thanksgiving to Wednesday and double again from Wednesday to Thanksgiving. NHTSA also reports that there is actually a spike in DUI fatalities from Thanksgiving until the New Year. As a result, there are often heightened DUI patrols starting now.
Colorado recently changed its DUI laws to include a felony level DUI. Vehicular assault and vehicular homicide have long been on the Colorado law books as felonies, but Colorado was one of the few remaining states that did not make repeat DUI offenses a felony. Vehicular assault and vehicular homicide require that a person be seriously injured or killed and that the at fault driver be under the influence of alcohol or drugs or both. If a person has 3 prior alcohol related driving offenses in a lifetime or accumulates 3 alcohol related driving offenses in a 7 year period of time, then he or she may be charged with a class 4 felony.
Please be safe this holiday season. If you are contacted for a DUI, remember to contact an attorney who can help you navigate the legal system.
Check out this article from USA TODAY:
Why DUIs could spike tonight: It’s Drunksgiving
https://usat.ly/1jkgVe3