Thanksgiving consistently ranks as one of the heaviest drinking days of the year, nationwide. As our families come together to reflect upon all the things for which we are grateful, we tend to celebrate with excessive amounts of foods, merriment, and of course, alcohol. As Americans, we have much to be grateful for, and there’s nothing wrong with toasting our gratitude with some of our favorite wines and spirits. The problem only arises when someone has too much to drink and then gets behind the wheel of a motor vehicle.

In the beautiful State of Washington, we know this problem all too well. Approximately 40,000 DUI arrests are made every year in this state alone, and law enforcement is getting much more aggressive about pursuing impaired drivers. Recently, the state unveiled its “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” Campaign, which places extra patrol on the streets during the holiday season, with an emphasis on tracking down and arresting anyone who has had “a few too many.”

If you plan on driving in Washington this holiday season, expect to have the watchful eye of law enforcement assessing your every move. If you drive over the speed limit, weave within the lanes, make unsafe maneuvers or give any indication that you may be distracted or impaired, you may find yourself blinded by colorful sirens in your rear view mirror. You could even be pulled over for nothing related to your driving, such as having expired tabs.  I have said it before, but it bears repeating: Police in Washington are not fooling around this holiday season.

If you plan on drinking alcohol this Thanksgiving, take precautions. For instance, drink only a very small amount in the early hours of the party, so that you have plenty of time for the alcohol to be eliminated before driving home. Alternately, you might make arrangements to ride with a designated driver, or use a car service or taxi to get to and from your destination.

Whatever you decide, remember to be safe, have fun and don’t take any chances when it comes to driving when you have been consuming alcohol. A DUI conviction will remain on your record forever, and will result in large fines, ignition interlock, license suspension, alcohol evaluation and follow up and jail time. Our state has some of the steepest DUI penalties in the nation, even for first-time DUI offenders, so don’t take the chance.

If you have been charged with DUI, contact the Washington State DUI attorneys at Wolff Criminal Defense for a free consultation. You can reach the attorneys directly at 425-284-2000. Don’t make the mistake of fighting your DUI charge without experienced legal representation. Call us today.

Most importantly, have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.