New Year’s DUIs up 30 percent

At least 20 people died in traffic accidents statewide over the New Year’s holiday, and drunken-driving arrests were up more than 30 percent in California compared to the same period last year, according to the California Highway Patrol.

CHP officers statewide made 898 arrests on suspicion of driving under the influence between 6 p.m. on New Year’s Eve and 6 a.m. today, up from 688 arrests during the same 36-hour reporting period a year ago.

Officials also reported 20 traffic deaths over the New Year’s holiday, up from 16 a year ago, although all the deaths were not necessarily DUI-related fatalities, the CHP noted.

“People are not designating a non-intoxicated driver, and people need to be aware and remember how important it is to have that person to make sure they get home safely,” said Officer Krystal Carter of the CHP’s transportation management center in Los Angeles.

Local statistics on DUI arrests won’t be released until Monday, officials said.

Although the CHP did not report any traffic deaths in Orange County over the New Year’s holiday, at least one O.C. resident died in a fatal car wreck on a surface street in Orange.

Roger LaSalle, 62, of Costa Mesa apparently lost control of his vehicle and careened into a utility pole on West Chapman Avenue at South Flower Street at 12:12 a.m. today, police said. The cause of his death is pending an autopsy; police say a medical condition may have been at least partly to blame.

Six of this year’s 20 traffic deaths in California reported by the CHP happened during a 12-hour period that began at 6 p.m. on New Year’s Eve.

And 527 of the DUI arrests – or 59 percent – occurred during this same 12-hour period.

Related articles:

• CHP on NYE: Less Fatalities, More DUI Arrests than Last Year (laist.com)
• DUI Checkpoint in Downtown Tonight (laist.com)
• CHP to ‘Enhance’ Presence on Roads over Holiday Break (laist.com)

Anaheim Police announced a DUI Saturation Patrol for New Year’s Eve.  Starting at 7pm on December 31, 2009, Anaheim will have a Saturation Patrol searching for drunk drivers, until 3:00 a.m. on January 1.

If you have questions about Orange County DUI, call me anytime!  (714) 568-1560.  Happy New Year to everyone.

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Image by Christopher Chan via Flickr

“I’m not driving tonight, there are too many drunks on the road”, is a comment I hear every New Year’s Eve.  Yet the worst time to drive is actually the Saturday before Christmas, when office parties and family and friend parties usually mean drinking plus driving in much greater numbers, statistically.

People are more likely to get a hotel and spend the night somewhere for New Year’s Eve, and that’s what you should do if you want to avoid being potentially interrogated or arrested for DUI.

Unlike the 17 Orange County checkpoints the weekend before Christmas, (that I have discussed at length in my blog) there is only one tonight that I am aware of – the DUI checkpoint in Placentia.  You can be sure that police will be having roving patrols, and if you know anyone that has an Orange County DUI case, please have them contact me at 714-568-1560.  I can offer information and help out.

Otherwise, I thank you for visiting my blog in now its third year, and two redesigns.  It’s been a pleasure to offer opinion and facts from the front line of DUI defense in Orange County.  I wish you all the best for 2009, and if you have any suggestions for my blog, or just want to contact me anytime, please email me at rmillerlaw at gmail dot com.  Thanks, and Happy New Year!