As the holidays draw near, many Cincinnati residents are preparing for parties and road trips to visit relatives. You might be ecstatic to sit by the fire and catch up with family over wine or eggnog.
Amidst the joy of the season, however, you should remember that this is a major time for accidents and traffic violations. In anticipation for the increased travel, Ohio State Highway Patrol is doing some holiday preparation of their own.
During this time of the year, police often report an increase in drunk driving and OVI charges. In an effort to counter this, Ohio State Highway Patrol began a campaign focused on road safety awareness. They are competing with Michigan State Police over the most likes on their respective Facebook pages before the Buckeyes play their home football game on Thanksgiving weekend. They also plan to set up checkpoints to catch risky drivers throughout the holidays.
Your holiday plans likely don’t include being pulled over for an OVI. Even with one or two drinks, you could still be at risk for a “low-test” OVI. One easy way to prevent the police from pulling you over is to plan transportation ahead of time. If you know you might consume alcohol at a holiday celebration, it’s a good idea to ask someone else to drive for you or use a ride-hailing service.
Not all DUIs that police issue over the holidays are valid, however. It’s possible that the officer wouldn’t have enough evidence of blood alcohol content. The officer could even report the encounter deceptively.
Regardless of what happened, if you face an OVI charge, you should discuss the best course of action with an Ohio attorney. You don’t have to let drunk driving prevent you from enjoying the holiday season.
