Every year as part of the national "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" campaign to end DUI, state and local law enforcement ramp up their efforts to stopimpaired driving during the holidays. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol and local police set up sobriety checkpoints around the state, and law enforcementincreases the number of patrol vehicles on Oklahoma roads, searching for signs of impaired drivers.
According to Oklahoma Highway Patrol Maj. Jack McCoy, "Beginning Dec. 16 and continuing into the New Year, you will see stepped up enforcement; law enforcementwill be watching closely for anyone who is driving impaired. There will be zero tolerance for impaired driving.�
During saturation patrols, police look for evidence that a driver may be under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Signs include weaving, erratic speed(either too fast, too slow, or inability to maintain consistent speed), and failure to obey traffic signs and signals. Read more about visual signs of DUI.
At DUI checkpoints, law enforcement sets up a roadblock in a specified location, stopping all drivers who pass through and screening them for signs ofimpairment. Generally speaking, these roadblocks are better for arresting people with outstanding warrants than for arresting people for DUI.
Regardless of the methods for making a DUI arrest, the best way for a person to avoid a DUI is to avoid driving after drinking. Find a sober ride througha friend, a ride service such as Uber or Lyft, a taxi, or a service like AAA's "Tipsy Tow."
In Oklahoma, AAA's Tipsy Tow service is available in metro OKC, metro Tulsa, Ardmore, Bartlesville, Enid, Lawton, Muskogee, Shawnee, and Tahlequah. Theservice is free to AAA members and non-members, and it operates under the following rules:
AAA's holiday Tipsy Tow is available during the following dates and times for Christmas and New Year's Eve:
Friday, Dec 16th at 6 p.m. until Monday, Jan. 2nd,2017 at 4 a.m.
Call your local AAA office to learn more.
