Approximately 17% of respondents in a recent survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention admitted to indulging in binge drinking over the previous month. That makes it approximately one in every 6 American adults at serious risk of a DUI. For adults between ages 18 and 34, the rate is approximately one in every 4 adults.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention surveyed more than 450,000 American adults, and came to the following conclusions. Not only were the rates of binge drinking high in the 18-34 age group but these drinkers also consumed the highest number of drinks during an episode, at 9 drinks compared to the national average of 6 drinks. Senior citizens were found to have much lower rates of binge drinking than other groups, but they were likely to binge more often. The average senior in the survey admitted to binge drinking on at least 5 occasions per month. That is in contrast to younger adults who had 4 episodes of binge drinking a month.

No Alabama DUI attorney would be surprised to know that males are at a much higher risk of excessive drinking. Other at-risk categories include college graduates and people with annual incomes of more than $75,000.

The results of the study are especially concerning, because binge drinking is related to a number of destructive practices. Binge drinkers are much more likely to be arrested for DUI, or are likely to measure much higher on a breathalyzer test or blood alcohol test. That makes your DUI defense that much more complicated. Additionally, binge drinkers are also believed to be more likely to be involved in automobile accidents, and episodes of violence.

Alabama DUI lawyers recommend a number of services like designated driver services and towing services to reduce the risk of driving under the influence over New Year's. This year, AAA Alabama is again offering persons in Alabama the chance to get home safe after a few drinks, without being arrested for DUI.

This New Year's Eve, AAA Alabama will offer free towing services to get impaired motorists off the road. The Tow-for-Life service is a public service program that provides free towing services to intoxicated motorists across the state. The services are provided to both members and non-members of the AAA, and are free.

This New Year's Eve, you can call AAA Alabama at 1-800-222-4357 and ask for Tow-for-Life. You will need to provide your name, address, telephone number and the location of your car. The service program will dispatch a tow truck to you, and once you provide adequate identification, will ask for the keys to your vehicle. The vehicle will be towed to your home at no charge within a distance of 120 miles.

The Tow-for-Life service program will kick off on December 30, New Year's Eve at 6 PM, and will continue until 6 AM January 1, 2012. According to the AAA Alabama, a person's risk of being involved in a DUI accident that ends with injuries or fatalities is the highest during these times. The AAA Alabama says that it is not encouraging motorists to drink during this holiday, but the organization wants to give people who are drunk and do not believe that they are in a condition to drive home, an option to get home safe without being arrested for DUI, or causing any accidents or injuries along the way.

Over the last decade, there has been a whopping 36% increase in the number of DUI arrests involving women in this country. While men continue to comprise the majority of all DUI arrests in the United States, women are definitely catching up. That information comes from research by the Traffic Injury Research Foundation. In fact, this increase has been evident to Alabama DUI lawyers for a while now. According to the survey, binge drinking by women is also on a high, increasing by 30% over the past 30 years.

Sociologists point to a number of reasons why there has been an increase in the number of such DUI arrests. For one thing, women have greater earning power and enjoy greater independence, which quite likely translates into more uninhibited alcohol use. The study also found that women who were arrested for DUI were likely to be better educated than their male counterparts, and were also likely to be heavily involved mothers.

That raises the interesting possibility that increased drunk driving among women is linked to the stresses of modern parenting. Some experts say that women may be less able to recognize signs of out-of-control drinking, like drunk driving. Many women confess to drinking lightly during the daytime to deal with the stresses of their 24/7 life. Some women, who drink a couple of classes of wine a day to take the edge off the stresses of parenting, may not realize when the number of those glasses increase, and when light drinking has turned into a problem.

Law-enforcement agencies are looking at the growing number of arrests involving women driving under the influence of alcohol more seriously. Federal transportation safety officials plan to target female DUI during the holiday enforcement this season.

An increase in DUI over the Thanksgiving weekend in Alabama is the main reason why there has been an increased rate of accidents on interstates. According to research by the University of Alabama Center for Advanced Public Safety, interstate accidents in Alabama are up about 25% over the past three years.

The researchers compared Thanksgiving week accident rates over the past ten years and found that a number of factors contributed to these accidents. The most basic ones were increased travel during the holiday, and a combination of holiday drivers as well as commuters on the interstates.

However, the biggest factor in accident fatalities was increased alcohol use during the holiday. Over the past three years, the researchers noted a startling increase in the number of drunk driving accidents during the Thanksgiving week, compared to the previous seven years. Alcohol and drug-related accidents are about 25% higher during the Thanksgiving holiday than any other day of the year.

The number of nighttime accidents during the holiday is about 84% higher than during any other time of the year, and most DUI accidents take place at night. Single vehicle accidents, also often linked to alcohol use, also increased by about 10% in the past three years.

To avoid spending the weekend talking to an Alabama DUI lawyer this Thanksgiving, restrict alcohol use if you plan to drive. Law enforcement officers in Alabama will be cracking down on seat belt violations as part of the Click It or Ticket seatbelt enforcement program. When Alabama law enforcement officers pull motorists over to check on seat belt use, they will not just be looking for seatbelt usage and child safety seat use, but will also be checking for signs of alcohol intoxication. More officers will be stationed for seatbelt enforcement, increasing your chances of being arrested for DUI significantly over the holiday.

Alabama's DUI laws just got tougher. Starting September 1, stricter new DUI laws went into effect in the state of Alabama, increasing penalties for persons caught driving under the influence of alcohol with a BAC level of .15 or more.

Under the old law, persons driving under the influence of alcohol with a BAC level of .08 could be arrested for DUI. However, the penalties would not increase if the BAC level was greater than .08. Under the new law, persons caught driving under the influence of alcohol with a blood-alcohol level of .15 or above, will be fined between $600 and $2,000 even it is a first time offense. Besides, the person could also be sentenced to a minimum one year in jail. Penalties will also include license suspension or revocation of the year. The bill had been sponsored by State Sen. Rusty Glover, and was signed by the governor in June this year.

What this law means for persons driving under the influence in Alabama is that the stakes are considerably higher if you're driving with more alcohol in your system. The higher the intoxication levels, the greater your need for an experienced Alabama DUI lawyer. If you're convicted of driving under the influence with a BAC level of or above .15, you could lose your license for a year or be sentenced to a year in jail. Alabama is far from the only state to have laws mandating tougher penalties for higher BAC levels. At least 41 other states have similar laws in place.

DUI convictions in Alabama also lead to other consequences like a requirement to install an ignition interlock device in your car, and increased insurance rates. These penalties will depend on whether you have previous DUI convictions on your record, or whether any injuries were involved.

The Labor Day holiday weekend is just a couple of weeks away, but law enforcement offices in Alabama have already kicked off their annual crackdown against intoxicated motorists.  Alabama state troopers are collaborating with local law enforcement officers to crack down on drunk motorists this year. 

Alabama anti-drunk driving efforts are part of the nationwide Labor Day crackdown sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, called  “Drunk Driving.  Over the Limit.  Under Arrest.“  Additional officers have been called in, and they will be out every night looking for intoxicated motorists.  The crackdown will run from now until the 6^th of September.  The first weekend of the campaign has been somewhat successful for troopers who have managed to write hundreds of tickets and make dozens of arrests.

As any Alabama DUI lawyer will tell you, these kinds of crackdowns are especially concentrated and aggressive during major holidays.  It's why Alabama DUI Defense attorneys are so busy during the holiday season.  Law enforcement officers like to parade their tally of DUI arrests which are announced with great fanfare a couple of days after the holiday ends.  That means that you have a much higher chance of being arrested for DUI during holidays. 

Alabama has some of the most draconian DUI laws in the country.  A DUI conviction here could lead to incarceration, and at the very least, a license suspension or revocation.  You may also be required to get an ignition interlock device installed in your car, depending on your DUI conviction record.  Your vehicle may be impounded.  Alabama has other programs in place for DUI offenders, including assessment and treatment programs.  It can also affect your insurance rates if you have a DUI conviction on your record.