St. Patrick’s Day DUI
By Jonathan Blecher on March 17, 2016
It’s that time of year again, time for green beer, shamrocks, leprechauns, and corn beef and cabbage. St. Patrick’s Day falls on Thursday, March 17, and throughout Miami, the streets will be covered in a sea of green until the sun rises Friday morning.
Whether locals are celebrating the little bit of Irish in them, or participating in the festivities, the Magic City sure knows how to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in style.
From the St. Paddy’s Day Block Party at Mary Brickell Village, to John Martin’s St. Patrick’s Day Party, to the Irish Times Block Party, there’s plenty of places to celebrate in Miami, and surely, the city will be crawling with drunk drivers after dark.
Miami Police on the Lookout for Drunk Drivers
St. Patrick’s Day is one of the deadliest holidays for drunk driving, just like Fourth of July and Memorial Day. In order to reduce the numbers of drunk driving fatalities over St. Patrick’s Day, law enforcement nationwide step up their DUI enforcement efforts.
In Miami, you can expect special DUI task forces and saturation patrols to be on the lookout for drunk drivers. Local police will be sending officers to patrol areas that are known for their high rate of DUI arrests, and the streets near pubs and bars will be some of their prime targets.
While looking for drunk drivers, officers will watch for signs of impairment, such as:
- Weaving in and out of lanes
- Driving without headlights (at night)
- Driving too slow
- Erratic driving
- Almost striking an object
- Running a stop sign or red light
Watch Out for Intoxicated Pedestrians
If you are on your way to a bar or pub, or if you are the designated driver, be alert for drunk pedestrians. Intoxicated pedestrians are less aware of their surroundings and may cross into the street without using a crosswalk.
If they aren’t careful, they can be struck and killed.
If you plan to drink this St. Patrick’s Day, don’t drink and drive. Either arrange to have a designated driver ahead of time, or call a cab, Uber or Lyft. The rates may be steep because of the holiday, but it’s a whole lot cheaper than risking a DUI!
If you are arrested for DUI while celebrating the Irish, contact my Miami DUI defense lawyers firm, Jonathan Blecher, P.A. for a free case evaluation.
