Georgia State Patrol Releases Prediction for Roadways This Thanksgiving Holiday

Atlanta Capitol Building

Atlanta, Ga. – The Georgia State Patrol has reported that they will be patrolling interstates more heavily in an attempt to reduce traffic crashes and to keep roads safer this holiday. The goal is for there to be less roadway accidents and deaths than last year, which as of right now, police agencies think is total possibility – especially with a lower number of people traveling as a result of the pandemic.

In 2019, reports from the Thanksgiving holiday showed that there were 12 roadway fatalities, hundreds of collisions, and over two hundred injuries.

As an Atlanta DUI Lawyer, I will be outlining the correlation between accidents and DUI in Atlanta. It is very common for DUI charges to result from accidents. See below.

DUI and Accidents

Not every accident involves traffic violations - however, most of the time, officers attempt to find where one or both parties to the accident went wrong. When a driver is involved in a car accident, the accident itself can be used to support a DUI charge by showing that the driver was less safe to drive depending on the circumstances of the accident. A car accident may also frustrate a favorable negotiation with the prosecution. 

Penalties likely to be more severe when a car accident is involved even when no person or property was injured or damaged. Also the accident itself can be used as an indication of less safe driving, which is an element of the DUI offense itself.

If an officer sees a driver in distress, the officer has legal cause to approach the vehicle and investigate and offer assistance.  The officer's primary duty is to aid all distressed drivers.  However while aiding those drivers, the officer can also investigate the cause of the accident and a possible DUI offense.  Also, the officer can charge the driver with anything he sees in plain view, such as drugs or weapons in the vehicle.

Practice Note

If you or a loved one - friend or family member - has been arrested for driving under the influence, call our offices now.