Tag Archives: bars

And… We're Back!

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After some website maintenance, I am pleased to say that the 1 800 DUI Laws blog is back on the ‘net. Thanks so much for your patience.

Anyway, in researching an interesting topic to talk about today, I came across an article from AOL News about Montana legislator, Alan Hale. Representative Hale is arguing against creating tougher DUI laws in his state because they will “hurt small businesses”.

I’m not quite sure how tougher DUI laws would directly hurt small businesses. Obviously a lot of factors come into play when validating that idea.

That being said, I’m no legal expert, but I have been exposed to a lot of states’ DUI laws. I have to say that Montana has the most lenient DUI regulations in the country. For example, after a first conviction in Montana the maximum license suspension is usually around six months. However, in New Mexico, after a first conviction, you could lose your license up to a year. This is true for many other states as well.

Montana has a five year look-back period for people who have been arrested for a DUI. This means that if a person was arrested seven years after another arrest, he or she would be tried as first time offender. Most other states have a ten-year look-back period.

A DUI conviction sucks no matter what, but it is interesting to see Montana coming around to toughening their DUI laws years after other states have done so.

I don’t know whether Representative Hale hates change or enjoys joyrides. He argues that Montana’s bars and pubs “connect” people and since Montana is so rural, people need to drive to get to said bars and pubs. If DUI laws become tougher, people won’t be able to get to those bars and make those connections. So, I guess this means most people have stayed in contact with every single person they have ever met at a bar. Ever.

I don’t know about you, but it seems like Rep. Hale has never heard of the idea of a designated driver or a taxi. Furthermore, when it comes to people connecting, I’m starting to doubt he has ever heard of the internet or even a telephone.

Common Places for DUI Arrests

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Since we deal with so many people who are having trouble with a DUI every day, we notice a lot of similarities between many people’s experiences.

One thing a lot of incidents have in common is the location of the arrest or, unfortunately, the accident. We’ve provided a list of some of the most common places DUI arrests have occurred. Please note that this is not a list of places to avoid. After all, you shouldn’t be driving drunk in the first place.

1. The Obvious One – Bars


Yes, a lot of DUI arrests occur within the vicinity of bars and especially near a cluster of bars. (Think touristy areas in cities.)

2. No Parking Zones

Many times a police officer will see a car parked on the side of the road or on a lot that is closed to public parking. Even if you’re sitting in the car, the officer is allowed to infer that you’ve been drinking and driving if they detect alcohol.

3. One-Way Streets

There have been so many DUI arrests made due to a person going down a one-way street. I understand its appeal. It is a faster route and maybe the police won’t be around this time. So many people take this risk and end up getting pulled over. However, they also end up in way more trouble than they think if they’ve been drinking. Don’t take shortcuts.

4. Drive-Thrus

I’ve read plenty of news stories where a drunk driver pulls up to a drive-thru and passes out while ordering a combo meal. Not a good move.

5. Highways

Highways have their own patrol unit which makes it more likely for you to get pulled over. They also have tollbooth workers, plus more drivers on the road, which means that more people are likely to notify the police of erratic driving.