A recent investigation by the local Minneapolis CBS affiliate discussed the dangerous trend of morning drunk driving arrests. While everyone knows about the thousands of people pulled over by police officers each year for impaired driving, many people who understandably assume these arrests take place on the weekend and late at night.
While it is true that the majority of arrests take place overnight, a surprisingly large number happen during daylight hours, when many people least expect to encounter a drunk driver. However, just because the public may not expect to meet a drunk driver does not mean police are not aware of the trend, in fact, some interviewed in the article begin their shifts specifically by looking for day drunk drivers.
It was recently revealed that Reese Witherspoon was arrested last weekend in Atlanta after her husband was pulled over for driving in the wrong lane. The incident proved to be an embarrassment for the actress, prompting her to issue an apology for her actions that night. More than embarrassing, her aggressive behavior also led to her arrest and being charged with disorderly conduct.
I have little doubt that Ms. Witherspoon is a nice person and truly regrets this ordeal, but the whole incident serves as an example of how people should not behave when pulled over on suspicion of drunk driving or any other traffic stop. Now, there may be certain legal issues to the validity of a traffic stop, but that should be addressed later through counsel not litigated between you and the officer on the side of the highway. This generally never ends well for the driver or passenger.
