Dealing with drunk driving in Las Vegas is part and parcel of the daily lives of local law enforcement in and around the city. In a city as big and as bustling as Las Vegas, not a day runs by without at least one or two DUI arrests even on the fringes of town. The large number of entertainment spots offering alcohol is also a commonly-cited factor.
With how often DUI cases happen in and around Las Vegas, one would be curious about the types of drivers that the police end up booking on the regular. With the high number of regular DUI stops, law enforcement is already familiar with similar patterns of people getting caught and trying to get away with it. Let’s look at five excuses people have used when pulled over for DUI.
Sudden Office Call
One of the double-sided aspects of modern workplace standards is that people can work from home if their employer allows such arrangements, but they can still expect to be called into the office for very urgent issues whether they like it or not. The worst part about it is that the call can come at odd hours and sometimes even on days-off. With the pandemic going around, those sudden calls have just increased; either offices need backup staff during crunchtime or someone gets called in because a staff member that volunteered to work on-site called in sick and a pinch-hitter is needed.
Work-related excuses have been around for a while, and the aforementioned pandemic exacerbated these cases considerably. People have been recorded as stating that they run late shifts at work and would sleep in a car close to their workplace after drinking a few glasses before their time, while others claimed that they got a sudden message requesting their presence at the office while they were enjoying a drink at home.
Natal Rush
One of the worst things that can happen to a person is to not be there when their wife is about to give birth. If you happen to be working while your wife is alone at home, the anxiety of them suddenly going into labor without anyone to help them out is palpable.
This excuse is usually invoked for speeding, but people suspected of DUI pull this off as well. The idea is that the police will let them off based on a ‘legitimate’ medical emergency; some have gone so far as to show a picture of their allegedly pregnant spouse to law enforcement.
Lost Out-of-Towners
Las Vegas has a reputation of having high traffic from out-of-towners, whether it’s at the peak of vacation season or during a typical weekend. Of course, the pandemic has put a dampener on those numbers, but people from outside the city and state still come by to party and unwind. Predictably, a number of these people get caught in DUI traffic stops and are possibly booked. Just as often, many of these out-of-towners would claim that they were only lost while looking to drive back to their hotel, sometimes even blaming directions provided by GPS apps.
Only Drinking at Traffic Lights
This one is not based on any case in Las Vegas, but rather an amusing DUI case from Florida. A local man was stopped by law enforcement after a call-in regarding repeated minor collisions at a local fast food drive-through. When the police checked and pointed out that the driver had the hallmarks of driving while inebriated, he allegedly replied that he was not drinking while driving, but rather was only drinking when he reached a traffic light or stop sign.
While this may be an entertaining incident (and thankfully one that did not involve any injuries or major damage), it just goes to show how out-of-touch a truly drunk driver can be when trying to reason their way out of a DUI booking. In this situation, it’s still a surprise that things did not escalate into a felony DUI involving injuries or death, even.
The ‘Designated Driver’ Argument
In group outings, it is the smart move to have someone sit out of all the drinking and act as the designated driver after the party’s over. However, some people do not always follow the rules for designated drivers, and there would be instances where even they would take a sip or two. Understandably, such cases would lead to a series of events where the driver will reason out that they are the designated driver and such have no business being drunk. This is inexcusable behavior because being a designated driver requires someone to be focused and not affected by alcohol. Not to mention, not everyone has the same tolerance for alcohol; you may claim that you’ve only taken two sips, but it may have been enough for your body to be inebriated and you just don’t know it.
Making excuses at a DUI traffic stop only exposes you to even worse consequences in the event that you are convicted. Remember that it is best to deal with a DUI charge in court, when you are assisted by a veteran DUI lawyer with the skill to deal with your case professionally.
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