The summer months are coming to an end but there is still one holiday right around the corner. That holiday is Labor Day. Often times when residents of South Carolina celebrate the holidays those celebrations include the consumption of alcoholic beverages. Unfortunately, when one consumes too much alcohol and then decides to get behind the wheel of their vehicle, they may end up facing DUI charges.
Local officials will be cracking down on DUIs through Labor Day in an effort to continue the decrease in alcohol-related fatalities that the state has seen since 2007. From 2007 to 2011 there was a 32 percent decrease in these fatalities in South Carolina. This decrease seems to be continuing, as there have been 164 deaths since Memorial Day. Last year from Memorial Day to August 12 there were 176 deaths.
Some residents may be asking what a crackdown on finding influenced drivers may mean. It potentially means more field sobriety tests, more sobriety checkpoints and whatever else the state’s officials decide to do in order to enforce the crackdown. They have stated that the state will be saturated with enforcement and that there will also be visual reminders of the consequences for being charged with a crime.
For those that are not aware, the consequences for a drunk driving conviction can be quite severe. It always depends upon the circumstances surrounding the situation that led to the charges and also the driver’s history of drunk driving. Some of these consequences may include an automatic driver’s license suspension, monetary fines and more. An experienced DUI defense attorney in South Carolina may be able to minimize the impact of these consequences on the life of the accused.
Source: The Times and Democrat, “State, local officials plan DUI crackdown,” Aug. 18, 2013