The Heat is On returned Friday night.

Beginning at 6 tonight, law-enforcement agencies throughout the state will increase measures to stop motorists who drink and drive. The campaign will run through the New Year’s holiday, ending at 3 a.m. Wednesday.

Last year the campaign arrested 449 people. There were no fatalities. The cost of a D.U.I.: In 2004, the cost was estimated at $20,000.00. I saw a few DUI sentencings in Denver last week. The court costs imposed, not including a fine, were $1,200.00. In addition to legal fees, which run in the thousands, you can count on your car insurance going up. Another factor to add to the equation is that some countries won’t admit you to visit if you have a DUI conviction, see here. If stopped and you refuse a test, you will automatically lose your driver’s license. As to whether you should ask for a breath or a blood test, one source of information is Lawrence Taylor’s Blog, The Drunk Driving Center. Taylor is the author of a leading text book on defending drunk driving cases. On his website, he answers that question with:

Analysis of a blood sample is potentially the most accurate. Breath machines are susceptible to a number of problems rendering them often unreliable. …. Thus, if you are confident that you are sober, a blood sample is the wise choice

If you think you’re over the limit, you may want to ask for the breath test and hope you can challenge the results. Here are some of the problems with breath tests. Of course, the best way to avoid a DUI is not to drive. The morning after, and for months and possibly years to come, you will kick yourself for either not calling a cab or using a designated driver.