Colorado is a football state. Even after a forgettable Broncos season, the Super Bowl is an unofficial national holiday. All over the state Coloradans will be hosting Super Bowl parties to watch and celebrate the big game with family, friends, food, and plenty of alcohol.
Everyone understands that driving while completely drunk is dangerous. If you’re going to a party, do your best to avoid excessive drinking if you plan to drive. You can bet that the authorities know all about this unofficial holiday and will be out in force trying to catch everyone who’s had anything to drink before getting behind the wheel. Here’s what we at The Bussey Law Firm, P.C., think you ought to know before Super Bowl Sunday.
Facts About Drunk Driving and the Super Bowl
According to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) study, 21% of fatal automobile crashes across the country involve drivers with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of at least .08%. In Colorado that percentage increases to over 28% of fatal crashes involving a driver with a BAC of at least .08%. Information compiled by BACtrack, a company that sells smartphone breathalyzers, showed that users recorded an average BAC of .091% on Super Bowl Sunday in 2014…only slightly lower than the New Year’s Eve average of 0.94%. Drunk-driving crashes account for more than 10,000 deaths every year and the costs of drunk driving total more than $44 billion annually.
The Costs of a DUI
Colorado takes driving under the influence seriously. If law enforcement catches you driving while over the legal limit, you will face extremely stiff penalties. In fact, the Colorado prosecutors will seek a conviction if your ability to drive is impaired to the slightest degree by alcohol!
How much does a DUI cost? According to the state, an average person will have to pay over $13,000 in fines and court fees if convicted of a drunk driving offense. That is some serious cash. Moreover, a DUI arrest entails a number of other embarrassing and invasive procedures. You may be required to provide a blood or breath sample. If you refuse to take a chemical test or if you have a blood or breath alcohol content greater than a 0.08%, you will also be facing the loss of your driving privileges, sometimes before your first court date. See Colorado Revised Statute § 42-2-126 (2017). Your car will likely be impounded, you will be photographed and fingerprinted, and the arrest will be a part of your permanent record, even if you aren’t convicted.
This single mistake could have a drastic impact on the rest of your life. In addition to the monetary penalties you face, you will face jail time and, if there is a BAC greater than 0.20%, you might face mandatory jail time. A DUI can also lead to termination from your job if your employer discovers the case. Finally, a DUI also carries a social stigma that can strain personal relationships and, in extreme cases, even be grounds for a divorce. We’ve seen it happen before.
Don’t Trust Gimmicks to Keep You from a DUI
Companies sometimes jump in to “prevent” drunk driving around Super Bowl time. Last year, Tostitos launched a rather bizarre anti-drunk-driving campaign. The company marketed a “Tostitos Party Bag” specifically for Super Bowl parties. The bag contained sensors that could supposedly detect alcohol on a person’s breath. If no alcohol was detected, the bag would turn green. But if the sensors picked up any amount of alcohol, the bag would turn red and reveal the message, “Don’t drink and drive.” All in all, a rather clever marketing ploy for Tostitos. Of course, the device was not an actual breathalyzer, and any person relying on it to avoid a DUI was probably very disappointed.
Colorado Law Enforcement Will Be on High Alert
With so much at stake, you need to take immediate action to protect yourself if you are accused of DUI on Super Bowl Sunday. The best thing you can do is seek out one of our skilled DUI attorneys in Colorado Springs who will advocate on your behalf. We at The Bussey Law Firm, P.C., tackle these charges aggressively for our clients. The earlier we can get started, the better your chances of avoiding some of the steep penalties alluded to earlier. For a free consultation, call us now at (719) 475-2555.