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The American Automobile Association says federal numbers show motor vehicles fatalities increase an average of 30 percent when Halloween falls on a weekend. And more than half of those are alcohol related.

AAA urges parents to dress children in bright reflective costumes or add reflective tape to costumes or treat buckets.

For adults headed to parties AAA suggests a plan to keep safe, like a designated driver and traveling routes that avoid residential areas.

If you spot a drunk or erratic driver on the highway dial star NHP from your cell phone, anywhere else, dial 911

Also AAA’s tipsy tow program is offering free tow for drinking drivers from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. for a free tow of up to five miles.

Experts say its not just the holidays, but tough economic times are also making more people turn to addictive behaviors like drinking and drugs as a way to coupe with stress.

And because Halloween is on a Friday this year, that could mean more drunk drivers on the road as people use the holiday to relieve financial stress.

Bartenders at Decatur Packaged Liquors are getting ready for the Halloween celebration.

“The fact that this year it fell on a Friday, we think people are going to be able to come out and spend a little more time and enjoy themselves,” said Roger Szepelak.

They are expecting a packed house. And at liquor stores across the valley, the bottles are flying off the shelves. That’s why Metro Officers will be standing guard, making sure you’re not drinking and driving.

“We have a zero tolerance for that, so if you do it, you are going to jail, no questions asked,” said Metro Officer Richard Strader.

Officers will be patrolling the roads in full force and the DUI van will be on standby as they crack down on drivers breaking the rules of the road.

“This van is fully equipped to do the breath test and take the prisoner to the city or county jail,” said Strader.

Candice Kidd works with Westcare. The agency helps substance abusers. She says the sagging economy can push people to addictive behavior like drinking. Kidd says financial stress coupled with a holiday weekend could become a recipe for disaster on the road.

“When times are uncertain or stressful, people have a tendency to want to escape,” she said. “It’s an excuse the party harder than you normally would.”

Szepelak hopes people will flow into his bar to celebrate, but a busy night for him could mean an even busier one for Metro.

“We have more people killed in the United State by drunk drivers than homicide,” said Officer Strader.

That’s why officers are sending a strong warning for impaired drivers to stay off the roads.

Officers say impaired driving come in all shapes and forms now a days because more people are being caught driving under the influence of prescribed medications. Officers say whether meds are prescribed or not, if it impairs your driving, it’s illegal and you will go to jail.
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It’s probably not a good idea to leave a beer can on the bumper of an automobile unless one wants to send a signal to law enforcement that an intoxicated driver may be behind the wheel.

Such is the lesson a Dublin man learned Saturday as he was arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, open container violation, driving without insurance, driving while unlicensed, and driving with an expired tag.

According to a report of the Laurens County Sheriff’s Department, Deputy Ryan Brooks was patrolling the county when he noticed a green Ford Explorer traveling northbound on U.S. 441 South cross the center line several time and then come to a stop in the roadway. Brooks was watching as the vehicle took off again when he noticed a Bud Light beer can on the rear bumper of the vehicle.

He pulled the driver and vehicle over, the report shows, and as he approached the driver he began to smell the scent of an alcoholic beverage coming from inside the car.
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With the help of a recently awarded grant, South Lake Tahoe police expect to ramp up drunk-driving enforcement over the coming year.

The department will have extra officers looking for intoxicated drivers at least twice a month on either Friday or Saturday nights – with more during holiday periods – over the next year, according to a statement from the police department.

Additional officers will be on the street starting this Saturday, according to the statement.

The increased DUI enforcement will be paid for through a $67,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety. The grant money will fund officers working overtime on DUI suppression and education programs, according to the statement.

This grant also will pay for DUI checkpoints, driver’s license checkpoints and DUI warrant-service operations, according to the statement.
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If you have been arrested for DUI in California call 1-866-442-2722.

The first official state memorial marker for an Illinois DUI victim was erected in the north Chicago suburbs. The blue sign is a legal substitution for homemade signs often placed at the scene of a deadly drunk driving accident. The signs urge motorists not to drive under the influence in Illinois and can honor a specific DUI victim.

The new ‘Tina’s Law’ is seen as a balance between allowing loved ones to memorialize someone while ensuring the safety of other motorists and facilitating regular road maintenance.

Relatives can request a marker for any alcohol related driving fatality since January 1, 1990. The cost is $150 for a sign with the slogan ‘Don’t Drink & Drive’.
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Have you been arrested for an Illinois DUI?

Luis Vizcaino, relief pitcher for the Colorado Rockies baseball team, was DUI in Tampa Bay, Florida. Vizcaino was spotted driving 71 mph in a 45 zone around 1:30 am Monday morning. When officers initiated a traffic stop, he abruptly stopped his red Cadillac sedan in the outside lane. Police detected alcohol and Vizcaino admitted to having consumed two alcoholic drinks. His blood alcohol content registered .084% and .087% after two breath tests. The legal limit for intoxication in the state of Florida is .080%. He was booked on charges of Florida DUI at the Hillsborough County Jail.

Vizcaino is from the Dominican Republic, and he resides in St. Petersburg. He has a career record of 34-27 with a 4.34 ERA.
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If you have been charged with a Tampa Bay DUI visit the DUI Lawyer Directory.

A Department of Public Safety contractor failed to inspect breath testing equipment as required by law, and then faked maintenance records to indicate that she had. As a result, at least 2,600 arrests for driving while intoxicated in the Houston area are in question.

Texas law requires that breath testing equipment be calibrated once a month to ensure accuracy. According to Houston DWI defense attorney Dane Johnson, blood alcohol content is a key piece of evidence in the prosecution’s case and failure to properly maintain breathalyzer equipment could result in a false reading and an unwarranted arrest.
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It’s bad enough that the machines are not accurate to begin with. If you have been arrested for DUI in Texas find a qualified Texas DUI Lawyer ASAP.

A 30-year-old New Port Richey police officer was arrested by Florida Highway Patrol troopers early this morning, accused of drunken driving and causing a crash that injured him and his two passengers.

Officer Christopher John Sutherlin was driving a 2006 Nissan pickup south of U.S. 19 about 20 miles over the 55-mph speed limit and slammed into a vehicle in front of him near Sunset Road, according to a highway patrol report. Sutherlin kept going after the crash and turned onto Sunset, but he had to stop because of the damage to his truck, the report state.

Joshua D. Vitori, 26, the other driver, followed Sutherlin in his 2005 Ford Pickup, and soon troopers responded, according to the report.

Sutherlin’s passengers, Joseph Pascalli, also a New Port Richey officer, and Brittany Perez, had minor injuries and were taken by ambulance to Community Hospital. Vitori was taken to Community Hospital with minor injuries.

According to trooper David Frye’s report, Sutherlin smelled of alcohol, had watery and bloodshot eyes, and was “giving inconsistent answers to my questions.”

At the crash scene, Sutherlin was arrested on a charge of leaving the scene of a crash with injuries.

Because of the number of New Port Richey police officers who showed up at the crash scene, troopers took Sutherlin to the Hernando County jail to interview him for the criminal case on video, the report said.

After being read his rights, Sutherlin took a breath-analysis test, and it was determined his blood-alcohol level was between 0.148 and 0151, nearly twice the limit at which the law presumes impairment.

After being medically cleared at Spring Hill Regional Hospital, Sutherlin was taken to Land O’ Lakes Jail, where he was also booked on charges of DUI, two counts of DUI personal and DUI property damage. He was released from jail this afternoon after posting $6,000 bail.

Police Chief Martin Rickus said Sutherlin has worked as a city patrol officer for about 11 months.
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If you are looking for a Florida DUI Lawyer visit the Florida DUI Lawyer Directory.

If you are convicted of a DUI, more often than not, your insurance company will find out about the DUI and will deal with you in one of two ways. Typically, your rates will go up, sometimes substantially, or, the company will simply cancel your policy. If your insurance company raises your premiums but keeps you as an insured, you will likely be labeled a “high-risk driver.” Most states require the insurance company to provide the state motor vehicle agency (DMV, MVD) with an SR-22 Proof of Insurance Certificate, which removes your license suspension by providing the state with proof that you are insured.

While this is all starting to sound fine and dandy, the catch is that not all insurance companies offer SR-22 policies. So your policy may be non-renewed or cancelled simply because the company can no longer provide insurance for you. In some states, insurers can’t cut you off in the middle of the policy term, so be sure to check on the laws where you live.

If your policy is cancelled or non-renewed, you will still be able to find insurance.
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Newport Police Chief Michael Capriglione, who heads the New Castle County Checkpoint Strikeforce, says police set up a checkpoint from 9 p.m. Friday until 2 a.m. Saturday at 141 North and Interstate 95.

Police say two Wilmington men were arrested after officers found marijuana and a concealed handgun at a DUI checkpoint in New Castle.

Capriglione says the two men charged with possession of a handgun were 25-year-old Lynn Daniels and 23-year-old Maurice Harrisan.

He says they arrested 14 people for driving under the influence, six people for drug possession and cited 44 others for criminal and traffic violations.
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What can I say, don’t go through a Delaware DUI checkpoint looking stoned with guns and drugs on you.