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Wednesday, February 10th, 2010
As Orange County DUI Lawyers, we’re bringing you news that might keep you out of a DUI in Costa Mesa this weekend. COSTA MESA Police officers will be on the prowl this weekend to crack down on drunken drivers.
The Costa Mesa Police Department’s DUI Enforcement Team will deploy officers on a special saturation patrol Saturday targeting DUIs. The patrol will begin at 5 p.m.
In addition, the Police Department is planning to set up sobriety/drivers license checkpoints on Feb. 19 and Feb. 26.
In the past year, DUI collisions have claimed one life and resulted in 47 wrecks injuring 58 people in Costa Mesa, according to police.
The patrol is funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Tags
Driving under the influence, dui, Law, Law Enforcement, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, orange county dui, police, Police officer, Road traffic safety, United States
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Wednesday, February 10th, 2010
The Orange County Register had a story about the upcoming DUI Checkpoint in Newport Beach this weekend. Our Orange County DUI Lawyers bring it to you for your weekend planning.
NEWPORT BEACH – Police will stage a sobriety checkpoint from 9 p.m. Friday to 3 a.m. Saturday on northbound Dover Drive at 16th Street, a location bordered by several nightlife hotspots.
Cars passing the checkpoint will be chosen to move through screening lanes on a pre-determined basis designed to ensure the process is objective and random.
Arrests rarely climb into the double digits at checkpoints, which serve more as deterrents. Last month, a checkpoint staged at the entrance to the Balboa Peninsula resulted in six drunken-driving arrests, plus two more detentions for non-DUI-related offenses.
Tags
Driving under the influence, dui, Law, Law Enforcement, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, orange county dui, police, Police officer, Road traffic safety, United States
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Wednesday, February 10th, 2010
I loved reading Freakonomics, and look forward to reading SuperFreakonomics, but even before I do, I came across some eye raising information related to DUI politics, from the new book:
The authors, Steven Levitt and Steven Dubner, write:
“Each year, more than 1,00 drunk pedestrians die in traffic accidents. They step off sidewalks into city streets; they lie down to rest on country roads; they make mad dashes across busy highways. Compared with the total number of people killed in alcohol-related traffic accidents each year — about 13,000—the number of drunk pedestrians is relatively small. But when you’re choosing whether to walk or driver, the overall number isn’t what counts. Here’s the relevant question: on a per-mile basis, is it more dangerous to drive drunk or walk drunk?
After running through some numbers, they find:
“Doing the match, you find that on a per-mile basis, a drunk walker is eight times more likely to get killed than a drunk driver.
They add a caveat that drunk walkers don’t kill other people, as drunk drivers do; but even factoring for that, “walking drunk leads to five times as many deaths per mile as driving drunk.”
Add to that the stats showing that distracted driving, like using radios and CDs in a car (or even talking on your cellphone with a bluetooth headset), kills more people than DUI does, and you have a matter of selective enforcement.
From the book itself:
Imagine you’ve gone to a party at a friend’s house. He lives only a mile away. You have a great time, perhaps because you drank four glasses of wine. Now the party is breaking up. While draining your last glass, you dig out your car keys. Abruptly you conclude this is a bad idea: you are in no condition to drive home. For the past few decades, we’ve been rigorously educated about the risks of driving under the influence of alcohol. A drunk driver is thirteen times more likely to cause an accident than a sober one. And yet a lot of people still drive drunk. In the United States, more than 30 percent of all fatal crashes involve at least one driver who has been drinking. During the late-night hours, when alcohol use is greatest, that proportion rises to nearly 60 percent. Overall, 1 of every 140 miles is driving drunk, or 21 billion miles each year.
Why do so many people get behind the wheel after drinking? Maybe because–and this could be the most sobering statistic yet–drunk drivers are rarely caught. There is just one arrest for every 27,000 miles driven while drunk. That means you could expect to drive all the way across the country, and then back, and then back and forth three more times, chugging beers all the while, before you got pulled over. As with most bad behaviors, drunk driving could probably be wiped out entirely if a strong-enough incentive were instituted–random roadblocks, for instance, where drunk drivers are executed on the spot–but our society probably doesn’t have the appetite for that.
Meanwhile, back at your friend’s party, you have made what seems to be the easiest decision in history: instead of driving home, you’re going to walk. After all, it’s only a mile. You find your friend, thank him for the party, and tell him the plan. He heartily applauds your good judgment.
But should he? We all know that drunk driving is terribly risky, but what about drunk walking? Is the decision so easy?
Let’s look at some numbers, Each year, more than 1,000 drunk pedestrians die in traffic accidents. They step off sidewalks into city streets; they lie down to rest on country roads; they make mad dashes across busy highways. Compared with the total number of people killed in alcohol-related traffic accidents each year–about 13,000–the number of drunk pedestrians is relatively small. But when you’re choosing whether to walk or drive, the overall number isn’t what counts. Here’s the relevant question: on a per-mile basis, is it more dangerous to drive drunk or walk drunk?
The average American walks about a half-mile per day outside the home or workplace. There are some 237 million Americans sixteen and older; all told, that’s 43 billion miles walked each year by people of driving age. If we assume that 1 of every 140 of those miles are walked drunk–the same proportion of miles that are driven drunk–then 307 million miles are walked drunk each year.
Doing the math, you find that on a per-mile basis, a drunk walker is eight times more likely to get killed than a drunk driver.
There’s one important caveat: a drunk walker isn’t likely to hurt or kill anyone other than her- or himself. That can’t be said of a drunk driver. In fatal accidents involving alcohol, 36 percent of the victims are either passengers, pedestrians, or other drivers. Still, even after factoring in the deaths of those innocents, walking drunk leads to five times as many deaths per mile as driving drunk.
So as you leave your friend’s party, the decision should be clear: driving is safer than walking. (It be even safer, obviously , to drink less, or to call a cab.) The next time you put away four glasses of wine at a party, maybe you’ll think through your decision a bit differently. Or, if you’re too far gone, maybe your friend will help sort things out. Because friends don’t let friends walk drunk.
That’s my two cents as a DUI Specialist Orange County, but if you have any comments, please email me at rmiller[at]expertlawfirm[dot]com.
Tags
Driving under the influence, dui, Law, Law Enforcement, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, orange county dui, police, Police officer, Road traffic safety, United States
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Wednesday, February 10th, 2010
Costa Mesa Police Department Targets
DUI Court Sting Operation
On February 8 th , 2010 between the hours of 0800 and 1400 hours officers from the Costa Mesa Police Department Office of Traffic Safety conducted an undercover court sting operation at the Harbor Justice
Center in Newport Beach, CA, targeting DUI, suspended, and unlicensed drivers. Police officers staked out offenders who had been told by the judge not to drive and followed them from the courtrooms to the
parking area to be sure they were not driving due to suspended or revoked license. In the operation 16 offenders were followed outside by officers. While some offenders had alternate means of transportation,
4 got behind the wheel and drove away from the court house. Those who chose to drive were stopped by waiting officers.
Among the arrest and citations were:
3 citations for suspended or revoked licenses
1 citation for being an unlicensed driver
3 vehicles were impounded
Funding for this operation is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. If you have questions for our Orange County DUI lawyers, call us at (877) 568-2977.
Tags
Driving under the influence, dui, Law, Law Enforcement, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, orange county dui, police, Police officer, Road traffic safety, United States
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Wednesday, February 10th, 2010
A DUI charge can trigger the following expenses, according to the Auto Club of Southern California:
Fine (minimum) $486
Penalties (minimum) $780
Vehicle Tow and Storage: $187
Alcohol Education Class: $500
Auto Insurance Increase (3 years): $8,652 average
Victim Restitution Fund $100
DMV License Re-issue fee: $125
Booking, fingerprinting, photo: $156
Attorney and legal fees (average): $2,539
TOTAL (minimum) $13,500.00
Plus, and I can assure of this from 15 years of being a DUI Specialist in Orange County, it’s common for clients to go through all of the following:
Shame and humiliation;
Lost work time and wages
Medical costs (in some cases)
Vehicle Property Damage (in some cases)
Civil liability
Loss of a Driver’s License
Need for alternate transportation.
Take it from our Orange County DUI lawyers, drinking and driving is an expensive proposition. Make sure you know your defenses before you decide to pay the price.
Tags
Driving under the influence, dui, Law, Law Enforcement, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, orange county dui, police, Police officer, Road traffic safety, United States
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Wednesday, February 10th, 2010
The AVOID website notes “special DUI Crackdowns on Super Bowl Sunday”, and they are coming. We have more information about Orange County DUI than anyone, and got the following press release from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
Super Bowl Sunday is one of America’s biggest and most entertaining national sporting events as friends and families gather to socialize and watch the big game. That’s why the Avoid the 38 Orange County DUI Campaign is joining forces with the California Office of Traffic Safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to conduct countywide DUI roving patrols on February 7, 2010.
On Super Bowl Sunday 2009, 11 people died in California due to alcohol-involved collisions. This is three times the daily average. There were another 163 injured, which was over twice the daily average. In 2008 and 2009, more people were killed on Super Bowl Sunday due to alcohol-involved collisions than any other day during the year.
“We want to pass our safety message to everyone who will be drinking this weekend” said Sgt. J. Brittain of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department’s Traffic Bureau. “Please make the right decision and pass your keys to a designated driver before the Super Bowl party begins. Getting caught driving while impaired will result in costly penalties including the loss of your driving privileges.”
Impaired driving crashes—and fatalities—can be prevented. Designating a sober driver should be on the top of everyone’s Super Bowl party list. Here are some ways you can help save lives, too.
If you are hosting or attending a Super Bowl party:
• Make sure all of your guests designate their sober drivers in advance, or help arrange ride-sharing with other sober drivers.
• Serve lots of food—and include lots of non-alcoholic beverages at the party.
• Stop serving alcohol at the end of the third quarter of the game and begin serving coffee and dessert.
• Keep the numbers for local cab companies handy, and take the keys away from anyone who is thinking of driving while impaired.
• Remember, you can be held liable if someone you served alcohol to ends up in an impaired driving crash.
• Avoid drinking too much alcohol too fast. Pace yourself—eat enough food, take breaks, and alternate with non-alcoholic drinks.
• If you don’t have a designated driver, ask a sober friend for a ride home; call a cab, friend, or family member to come get you; or stay where you are and sleep it off until you are sober.
• Never let a friend leave your sight if you think they are about to drive while impaired.
• Always buckle up—it’s still your best defense against other impaired drivers.
Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
For more information call our Orange County DUI lawyers at (877) 568-2977
Tags
Driving under the influence, dui, Law, Law Enforcement, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, orange county dui, police, Police officer, Road traffic safety, United States
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Wednesday, February 10th, 2010
The Costa Mesa Police Department conducted a DUI/Drivers License Checkpoint on Wednesday,
January 27, 2010, as part of Costa Mesa’s commitment to public safety. This checkpoint was one of
many that will be conducted throughout the year in Costa Mesa. The location of Wednesday’s
checkpoint was on 19 th Street at Pomona Avenue. The goal of the checkpoint was removing impaired
drivers from the streets and to bring awareness to the public of the dangers of driving under the influence
of drugs and alcohol.
690 Vehicles traveled through the checkpoint
343 Drivers screened
3 DUI suspects arrested
13 Citations issued for license violations
6 Vehicles impounded for 30 days
Tags
Driving under the influence, dui, Law, Law Enforcement, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, orange county dui, police, Police officer, Road traffic safety, United States
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Wednesday, February 10th, 2010
Our Orange County DUI Lawyers know that the penalties for a DUI conviction can dramatically increase with multiple convictions. But one woman in New Hampshire pushed these laws to their limits recently.
The Associated Press recently reported that a woman in Concord, N. H. was arrested three times in one week for allegedly driving under the influence.
Patricia Mondro now faces a $50,000 cash only bail on three separate charges of a driving under the influence issued within just days of one another.
On January 16, Mondro was arrested in a parking lot in Londonderry after she crashed her vehicle. Witnesses then contacted the local police department because they said that Mondro looked disoriented.
She was then arrested and charged with a misdemeanor DWI, but was release from jail the next day.
Five days later, she was arrested and charged with an aggravated DWI after crashing into a guardrail on Interstate 93 in Concord. Mondro suffered a few injuries from the crash, but was released from jail.
Shortly after Mondro was released she was arrested for a third time. She had allegedly hit a pick-up truck on the same highway where her she was charged with her second DUI offense.
She was driving with her headlights off when she hit the other car which then collided with a third vehicle. No injuries were reported in the incident.
After the first two arrests, Mondro still had her driver’s license because neither case had moved through the court system yet.
Lt. Tim Jones of the Londonderry Police Department said “that the problem is [that] all these license issues kick in after the conviction, [and] she’s in the interim state.”
Judge Gerald Boyle said at Mondro’s arraignment that he was concerned with the public’s safety as she had received multiple DWI’s in a very short period of time.
He further said that Mondro was “an extreme danger” not only to herself but to others as well. So he imposed separate cash only bails for each offense.
According to the Concord Monitor, Mondro made very few remarks during her arraignment. But she said that her husband had recently left her.
Her legal aid stated that Mondro’s family is going to get her the help she needs. Her court date for her third DWI charge is February 9.
Tags
Driving under the influence, dui, Law, Law Enforcement, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, orange county dui, police, Police officer, Road traffic safety, United States
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Wednesday, February 10th, 2010
The information below is brought to you by our San Bernardino DUI Lawyers:
Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk -Avoid the 25 DUI Task Force Deploying Roving Saturation Patrols Super Bowl Sunday
San Bernardino, – Sheriff Rod Hoops announced today that he is teaming up with the National Football League (NFL), California Office of Traffic Safety, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and law enforcement officials to remind everyone to designate a sober driver if they plan to be drinking alcohol on Super Bowl Sunday.
This Sunday, law enforcement is again asking for the public’s help. “Drunk driving is the top priority for the police, CHP, and sheriff’s deputies, but everyone who is hosting a party and serving drinks could have one of the best defenses there is against drunk drivers; a Designated Sober Driver,” said San Bernardino County Sheriff Rod Hoops “We’re asking for our community’s help by planning for a Designated Sober Driver at every super bowl party long before kick off.”
Super Bowl Sunday is one of America’s biggest and most entertaining national sporting events as friends and families gather to socialize and watch the big game. Yet, it has also become one of the Nation’s most dangerous days on the roadways due to impaired driving. The Avoid the 25 San Bernardino DUI Task Force will be deploying DUI saturation patrols targeting those who drive impaired.
According to research by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2008, fatalities in alcohol-impaired-driving crashes accounted for 32 percent of all motor vehicle traffic fatalities. On Super Bowl Sunday 2008, 49 percent of the fatalities occurred in crashes where a driver or motorcycle rider had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level of .08 or higher.
In California 11 people were killed Super Sunday 2009 and another 133 were injured in Alcohol Involved Collisions. Tragically, that is 3 times the daily average killed in California with alcohol as a factor and those injured were other twice the daily average.
“We continue to see far too many people hurt or killed as a result of impaired driving. Please do your part to stop this senseless crime,” said Christopher J. Murphy, Director of the California Office of Traffic Safety. “To help ensure that this happens, the Avoid the 25 partners are dedicated to arresting impaired driving. To help, we ask everyone; ‘Report Drunk Drivers, Call 911!’”
The following cities will have additional law enforcement personnel on patrol Super Bowl Sunday specifically to arrest drunk drivers: Victorville, Loma Linda, Yucaipa, Needles, Hesperia, Big Bear, Highland, Grand Terrace, 29 Palms, Yucca Valley, Redlands, Colton, Rialto, Barstow, Upland, Fontana, Chino and San Bernardino.
Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
If you are hosting a Super Bowl party:
• Remember, you can be held liable and prosecuted if someone you served ends up in an impaired-driving crash.
• Make sure all of your guests designate their sober drivers in advance, or help arrange ride-sharing with other sober drivers.
• Serve lots of food and include lots of non-alcoholic beverages at the party.
• Stop serving alcohol at the end of the third quarter of the game and begin serving coffee and dessert.
• Keep the numbers for local cab companies handy, and take the keys away from anyone who is thinking of driving while impaired.
If you are attending a Super Bowl party or watching at a sports bar or restaurant:
• Designate your sober driver before the party begins and leave your car keys at home.
• Avoid drinking too much alcohol too fast. Pace yourself—eat enough food, take breaks, and alternate with non-alcoholic drinks.
• If you don’t have a designated driver, ask a sober friend for a ride home; call a cab, friend, or family member to come and get you; or just stay where you are and sleep it off until you are sober.
• Never let a friend get behind the wheel of their vehicle if you think they are about to drive while impaired. Remember, Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk.
• Always buckle up – it’s still your best defense against other impaired drivers.
Refer: Dave Phelps, Sergeant
Station: San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department
Phone No.: (909) 387-3700
ROD HOOPS, SHERIFF
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY SHERIFF-CORONER DEPARTMENT
c/o Public Affairs Division
655 East Third Street
San Bernardino, California 92415-0061
Telephone: (909) 387-3700
Tags
Driving under the influence, dui, Law, Law Enforcement, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, orange county dui, police, Police officer, Road traffic safety, United States
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Wednesday, February 10th, 2010
Another Los Angeles DUI Checkpoint announced, this one is a LAPD South Bureau Sobriety Checkpoint
What: Sobriety & Drivers License Checkpoint
When: Saturday, February 6, 2010 8:00 PM – 3:00 AM
Where: West Manchester Avenue between Figueroa Street and Broadway – Los Angeles, California
Who: Emergency Operations Division
Why: The purpose of the sobriety checkpoint is to reduce the number of traffic collisions involving intoxicated drivers and hit and run collisions. In 2009, residents residing in the 77th Street Area endured 140 driving under the influence-related and 1,273 hit and run traffic collisions. The checkpoint will educate the community to use designated drivers and not drink and drive. Our message is simple: If we catch you drunk, you will be arrested.
It is the Los Angeles Police Department’s goal to continue providing public awareness on the dangers of drinking and driving, and the laws concerning driving without a valid driver’s license. Motorists approaching a checkpoint will observe traffic signs, information and police officers advising that a checkpoint is ahead. Once diverted into a lane, each motorist will be detained momentarily while an officer explains the purpose of the checkpoint.
Funding for this checkpoint is provided by the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. We can all help make our streets safer, please report Drunk Drivers – Call 911.
For further information, please contact Officer Don Inman, Traffic Coordination Section, at 213-486-0703.
Tags
Driving under the influence, dui, Law, Law Enforcement, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, orange county dui, police, Police officer, Road traffic safety, United States
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