According to Mothers Against Drunk Drivers^[1], in 2015, there were 10,265 deaths caused by drunk driving collisions and another 290,000 people were injured. During the Christmas and New Year's holidays, forty percent of all traffic deaths are caused by drunk drivers based on information provided by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. 

Statistics, in general, are tedious and with holiday shopping to finish and parties to attend, no one wants to consider drunk driving facts and figures.  But if you or someone you love is accused of a Ventura or Oxnard DUI, you must follow three critical steps:

• Make Careful Observations:  The hours immediately after a DUI arrest can be filled with emotion, confusion, and anger.  Because you cannot know which aspect of your case will ultimately lead to an iron clad defense, it is critical to make careful observations from your initial interaction with local police, through your arrest and until after the time you bond out of jail.  During this difficult time, you need to make observations and take notes regarding everything that transpires:
  

• Activities: What did you do the day before being arrested?  Did you go to a local restaurant or bar with friends or co-workers?  Did you visit a California establishment that had security cameras?

• Sleep:  Thinking of the time prior to your arrest, when did you last sleep and for how long?  If you have any type of sleep disorder or other medical condition, it can be important to your defense and you should provide your Ventura County criminal defense attorney with as much information as possible. 

• Medications and Drugs:  Do you take any prescribed medications?  If so, when did you last take those medications and how much did you consume?  Did you consume any non-prescription or even illegal drugs?  There are many different things that might cause the police to think that you were intoxicated while driving and it is important for your DUI defense lawyer to have a complete list of anything you digested. 

• Food: Did you consume any alcohol or food in the twenty-four hours before your arrest?  Did your work schedule or an illness cause you not to eat in the hours leading up to your arrest?

• Police Interaction:  How were you initially approached by the local police?  Did they pull your car over on the side of the road?  How long did they follow your vehicle before they pulled you over?  What time of day were you pulled over? 

• Conversations:  It is very important to recall what any local law enforcement officers said when you were initially approached or after you were taken to the station.

• Contact an Experienced Ventura County DUI Lawyer:  It is critical to speak to an experienced DUI defense attorney at the Kann California Defense Group as quickly as you can.  The details of your arrest and of the events immediately before that time will begin to fade from your memory.  Contact a DUI defense lawyer quickly so that you can recall all of the necessary events and details. 
  

DMV Hearings: It is very important to know that you have 10 days from the date of the arrest to have your attorney contact a California DMV Safety Office to request a hearing regarding the status of your license, otherwise your right to a hearing will be waived and your license will automatically be suspended after 30 days. 

DUI Defense Lawyers

Our experienced DUI lawyers  here at the Kann California Defense Group understand the defense strategies needed to reduce or even dismiss the charges filed against you. Call us today to review the events regarding your DUI arrest and discuss how we can help you. Call us at 888-744-7730 or use our online contact form now.

References

[1] Mothers Against Drunk Driving

[2] United States National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism