By Jeffrey Nadrich
Jeff Nadrich is a motorcycle accident attorney with Nadrich & Cohen, LLP. He has more than 25 years of experience successfully defending clients, and he continues to represent accident victims all across California.
Do you plan on hitting the road this Labor Day weekend? A lot of us have exciting plans. After all, Labor Day means barbecues, family, and maybe even a bit of drinking. But if you're planning on driving a motor vehicle or revving up your motorcycle, be warned. California police will be amping up their enforcement this weekend, statewide. As a motorcycle lawyer, I commonly see an increase in DUIs this time of year, but why is that?
Labor Day Motorcycle Enforcement – A Motorcycle Lawyer Weighs In
Labor Day weekend is one of the biggest days of the year for drunk driving, and as I mentioned in a recent blog article, drunk motorcycle riding is on the rise. Law enforcement is well aware of these trends, and police will be going to great lengths to crack down on impaired drivers this weekend. That means that if you're showing even the most subtle signs of possible impairment, you can expect to be pulled over. There will be more police patrolling the streets, and motorcyclists will be held to much greater scrutiny than usual. Whether or not it's fair, that is the reality of it.
For instance, I was just reading a report from the Napa Valley Register, warning that Napa police had scheduled a “special enforcement” for the coming weekend. I then encountered a very similar report from the Santa Monica Mirror, indicating that Santa Monica police would be on high alert this weekend. Another article from Patch indicated that police would be patrolling the Inland Empire this Sunday and Monday. Are you starting to notice a trend? Regardless of where you live in California, you may be subject to higher-than-usual suspicion, so don't risk it. If you have a drink, don't ride that motorcycle.
Some Final Thoughts
I'm a motorcyclist myself, and I'm passionate about motorcycle causes. But impaired driving leads to a massive number of accidents every year, and California's “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign seeks to reverse the alarming trend of increasing motorcycle accidents. So be safe out there. Have fun, but use your common sense. And have a wonderful Labor Day.
