Comments (0)

By thoug, December 1, 2009 10:53 am

No time is a good time to drink and drive, and no time is a good time to get arrested for drinking and driving. That said, most of the statistics regarding the time of day, day of the week and month of the year for DUI arrests will probably not surprise anyone.

DUI Arrests by Month of the Year

The most common month to get arrested for a DUI is December, and this is due to many factors including the high number of holiday parties in December. The consensus among DUI lawyers is that more people drink socially, and then drive, during the holidays.

Also, DUI task forces are more prevalent during the holidays. These statistics bear out in a 2009 report from the Gilbert, Arizona, Police Department. When looking at the statistics for DUI arrests per month from 2006-2008 in Gilbert, there was an average of well over double the amount of DUI arrests in December (more than 350) as compared to the average for the other 11 months.

DUI Arrests by Day of Week

A 2008 survey of DUI offenders from the state of Montana provides some very interesting information with regard to the circumstances surrounding the DUI arrests of 3,388 people in Montana that year.

Among other findings, it was noted that 24% of offenders were arrested on Saturday, 23% were arrested on Friday and 14% were arrested on both Thursday and Sunday. Nearly 75% of DUI arrests were made from Thursday through Sunday.

DUI Arrests by Time of Day

The 2008 Montana survey also showed that the most common hours of the day to be arrested for DUI were between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. (18%), between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. (17%), between midnight and 1 a.m. (13%) and between 11 p.m. and midnight (11%). Nearly 60% of DUI arrests were made between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m.

The Most Dangerous Days to Drive: Holidays

It should be noted that the most dangerous days of the year to drive include Thanksgiving weekend (548 deaths in 2007, with 35 percent alcohol related) Labor Day weekend (519 deaths, with 40 percent alcohol related), Memorial Day weekend (491 deaths, with 38 percent alcohol weekend) and July 4 (200 deaths on that day alone, with 44 percent alcohol related). Information is provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. See this chart for more stats regarding holiday travel.