The decline in the number of people being killed in drunk driving accidents, paucity of resources, and the belief that drunk driving prosecution is not worth their time - a combination of all these factors result in a large number of DUI cases not prosecuted every year.
According to some statistics, there are at least 300,000 incidents of drunk driving taking place every day, but only approximately 4,000 of those incidents result in a DUI arrest. One of the reasons for that is a shortage of resources. Statistics indicate that drunk driving is lowest in those jurisdictions that see heavy numbers of sobriety checkpoints. However, checkpoints are difficult to set up, and expensive to implement, and police departments often feel that their resources are better applied elsewhere.
However, all that does not mean that you can safely drive while drunk in Southern California, and not pay the price. California does have stringent drunk driving laws, tougher than laws across the country. However, even if you are arrested, whether your case is prosecuted or not could depend on the kind of legal steps that your attorney takes after the arrest.
If you are arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, call a Los Angeles DUI defense attorney immediately. Say as little as possible, and do not try to convince officers at the scene of the arrest that you were not driving under the influence of alcohol, or that you only drank a couple of alcoholic beverages. The temptation to try to talk your way out of a sticky situation may be strong, but such tactics only do your case more harm than good. Stay calm, and speak to an attorney. This can weaken the case against you, helping get charges against you lowered, or dismissed.
