DUI arrests down over July 4th holiday

Thursday, July 5th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Law enforcement had an unusually quiet 4th of July. Several areas of increased enforcement resulted in a few arrests, and some DUI stops, under the new, stricter limit on blood alcohol.

KOTVâ€™s Emory Bryan says law enforcement agencies from the area worked together on the 4th of July to target drunk drivers. In cases where a person has been drinking and driving, officers believe they'll have an easier time making serious charges stick, since the legal limit has dropped from .10, to point .08.

Tulsa County Sheriffâ€™s office Chief Deputy Brian Edwards, "And it's easier to make it to the .08 obviously because it's a lower level and you'll see a shift in the number of driving while impaired cases to the number of DUI cases, that number will go up."

Deputies expect to make the same number of stops because they'll look for the same signs of drunk driving, but expect more convictions under the more serious charge of DUI, as opposed to driving while impaired.