And do they let us enjoy that last grasp at an endless summer. Of course not. They are Seattle DUI police officers after all. But they don't take on their responsibilities without some advance notice. In fact, they try to get the word out, to warn us that they will be paying extra special attention to your driving habits around Labor Day to make sure you aren't drinking and driving in Seattle.
And where do they publicize this? Right in the newspaper. I'm pretty sure I've seen at least 5 articles on it this week (although we are DUI attorneys Seattle, so DUI stories catch our eye a little easier).
Here is the story, from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer:
Extra DUI patrols will be on the roads through Labor Day as part of the "Drive Hammered, Get Nailed" enforcement campaign.When you see information like this, you need to be thinking one thing and one thing only - don't drive drunk on that weekend. The cops will be out there looking for you. They will be pulling you over for things like tail lights that are too red, tires that are too wide, and license plate lights that are burned out. All so they can try to pop you for Seattle DUI.
In King County, Seattle police and the State Patrol are participating, along with police in Algona, Auburn, Black Diamond, Burien, Des Moines, Enumclaw, Federal Way, Kent, Maple Valley, Newcastle, Normandy Park, Pacific, Redmond, Renton, SeaTac, Shoreline and Snoqualmie.
Statewide, police officers from 130 agencies will participate. The extra patrols, which started Friday, are supported through $200,000 in grants from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission.
With this year's drunken driving crackdown, police now have a network of more than 200 specially-trained police Drug Recognition Experts around the state. These officers are trained to evaluate drivers who may be under the influence of illegal or prescription drugs, according to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission.
The Traffic Safety Commission shares this anecdote:
"DRE Deputy Alan Tag from the King County Sheriff's Office stopped a driver who was licking his cell phone and who later tested positive for cocaine. One indicator Tag looks for in an impaired driver is the inability to multi-task. People typically talk while doing multiple tasks with no problem, so he becomes suspicious if a driver can't answer a question while looking for their registration and insurance."
And as a side note, it seems pretty dumb for the cops to tell you where they will be and that they will be emphasizing a Seattle DUI patrol on that specific weekend, but they do it for a reason - they don't really want to catch a bunch of drunk drivers.
But they know that on that weekend people will be blowing out the parties as they say goodbye to summer and hello to winter, and that typically more serious accidents happen from Seattle DUI on these weekends than on other weekends. So they are telling you this information to keep you out of trouble, knowing a lot of people won't listen and will get popped for DUI anyway.
If you do decide to go out and drink and drive and get pulled over, I do have a few pieces of advice for you that may make beating your Seattle DUI a little easier. To begin, know that it is not illegal to drink and drive. It is only illegal to drive drunk.
There is a huge difference between the two, and while it probably doesn't make a lot of difference to you in the car, it makes a lot of difference for me when you hire me as your Seattle DUI attorney. So, when pulled over by the police, the key is not to talk your way out of the DUI arrest, but to limit the information the cops can gather, which limits their ability to arrest you.
The things you can do to limit the information you give the officer are: first, don't talk to the cops except to tell them your name - this means do not tell them that you've had anything to drink that night (although don't lie either - just tell them your lawyer told you not to answer that question); second, don't consent to a search of anything; third, no field sobreity tests and no portable breath test (you don't have to take them and you shouldn't); and finally, the moment you are placed under arrest invoke your right to silence and ask to speak with a Seattle DUI defense attorney.
Remember, when the police are out looking to bust people for DUI, they are going to find some. If you don't want to be one of those people, lie low the next couple of weeks. This means have fun but stay away from the wheel of a car. It will work out better for you in the long run.
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