Driving under the influence (DUI) charges are some of the most serious traffic violations prosecuted by the state of Georgia. Police officers are always on the lookout for signs of drunk drivers, and they will arrest anyone who seems impaired at the wheel or who fails a chemical breath test.
DUI charges can cost someone on their driver’s license and thousands of dollars in fines in addition to putting them at risk of incarceration. Police officers can and will pull people over at any time of day if their driving seems to indicate that they are under the influence, and sometimes police departments even conduct sobriety checkpoints in an attempt to screen for drunk drivers on the road. According to statistics related to arrests and collisions, DUI collisions and enforcement are on the rise in Georgia.
What does the data show?
Drunk driving has always been a serious safety concern, but it seems to have become a more pressing concern recently. In the last few years, police officers have had to respond to more situations involving drunk drivers than in previous years in Georgia. There seem to be more people driving while drunk and therefore more crashes occurring across Georgia each year. In 2022, Georgia law enforcement officials reported an 11% increase in DUI arrests and a slightly higher 13% increase in crashes related to drunk driving. In some areas, like Peachtree City, officers were able to connect every fatal crash last year to impairment at the wheel.
Those statistical increases can impact everyone on the road by leading to more intensive enforcement efforts by police. Officers may err on the side of caution and arrest people who have a reasonable explanation for their situation. The increase in DUI prosecutions and crashes will likely result in even more scrutiny for drivers in Georgia and a higher risk of prosecution.
Of course, when officers expect someone to be under the influence, they often only look at the factors that support that belief rather than remaining objective. Fighting back against DUI charges is possible in many cases, but the right strategy will depend on the type of evidence that the state has and the situation that led to a Georgia driver’s arrest. As a result, those facing charges should seek legal guidance as proactively as possible in order to make informed choices about their options.
