Police in Pennsylvania are on high alert during the major holidays throughout the year. Since DUI related injuries and fatalities drastically increase around these times, more of them start showing up on the streets as families and friends start throwing parties in the neighborhood.
Something that many residents fail to realize is that the police aren’t just concerned with the actual dates of the holidays themselves. They’re on the lookout in the days leading up to and following these special occasions. If you plan on taking part in the local festivities, you should know when and where you’re bound to see a police car before you plan your night out.
Halloween
Halloween may often be associated with children and trick-or-treating, but college students and adults use it as an opportunity to dress up and spend time with each other. Unfortunately, not all of them have been responsible with their celebrations. According to the NHTSA, there have been 158 drunk-driving crashes on Halloween night between 2013 to 2017.
It’s important to note that they specifically mention Halloween night. Many adult parties actually occur in the weekends before Halloween. If Halloween is on a weekday, then many residents won’t be inclined to celebrate during the day of since they may have to go to work the next day or they have to spend the night taking their kids trick-or-treating.
Officers will mainly be located near residential neighborhoods. Most Halloween parties tend to be thrown at someone’s house or apartment, so they will be keeping a close eye if they see any places with packed cars, loud music and people dressed up in silly costumes.
Thanksgiving
Unlike Halloween, Thanksgiving will always be on a Thursday that millions of workers have off. Thanksgiving can have some of the worst DUI rates of the year because of how long it lasts and how many people are traveling to a different city or state by car. Thanksgiving may only be on Thursday, but many workers have Black Friday off too in addition to the weekend. So many party-goers actually start drinking on Wednesday night to the point where that day is now known as “Blackout Wednesday.”
Police will be scattered across the highways, neighborhoods and cities. Weekends already have high alcohol consumption rates, but they’ll expect more reckless drivers starting on Wednesday night all the way to Sunday. It’s especially important to plan ahead if you have to drive a long distance since the symptoms of a drowsy driver aren’t that different from a drunk driver.
If you or a loved one face a DUI accusation over the holidays in Pennsylvania, make sure you have a qualified and experienced attorney that can help defend you from some severe charges.