53 Arrested for DUI During New Year's Holiday Period,3,200 Arrested for DUI in 2025
The Rhode Island Police Chiefs Association today announced that during the New Year's holiday period (from noon on December 31, 2025, to 6:00 AM on January 5, 2026), law enforcement across Rhode Island arrested 53 individuals for Driving Under the Influence (DUI). A total of 3,200 individuals were arrested for DUI in 2025. These figures represent the combined efforts of all 38 municipal police departments and the Rhode Island State Police.
“While many were celebrating the New Year, law enforcement officers across Rhode Island were working to identify and stop impaired drivers,” said Chief Thomas F. Oates, III, President of the Rhode Island Police Chiefs Association and Chief of Police for the City of Woonsocket. “Those efforts led to 53 arrests during the holiday period and more than 3,200 DUI arrests statewide in 2025. These numbers show why impaired driving remains one of the most serious threats to roadway safety. I commend the coordinated efforts of law enforcement agencies across Rhode Island for working together to protect the public and remove impaired drivers from our roads. Driving under the influence is a serious offense with real consequences, and we will continue to take it seriously every day of the year."
Background on impaired driving
The first offense for driving under the influence of liquor or drugs carries several penalties:
Possible jail sentence of up to one year at the ACI.
Mandatory license suspension from three to eighteen months.
Mandatory community service from 10 to 60 hours.
Fines of not less than $100, nor more than $500.
Fees can easily reach a few thousand dollars.
Rhode Island law requires you to submit to a chemical test of your blood, breath, or urine to determine the chemical content of your body fluids or breath.
If you refuse this testing, certain penalties can be imposed, including the following:
For a first offense, your Rhode Island driver’s license or privilege to operate a motor vehicle in this state can be suspended for six months to one year or modified to permit operation in connection with an ignition interlock device for a period specified by law; a fine from $200 to $500 can be imposed; and you can be ordered to perform 10 to 60 hours of community service and attend a special course on driving while intoxicated or under the influence of a controlled substance and/or alcohol or drug treatment.
If you have had one or more previous offenses within the past five years, your refusal to submit to a chemical test of breath or urine at this time can have criminal penalties, including incarceration of up to six months for a second offense and up to one year for a third or subsequent offense, and can carry increased license suspension or ignition interlock period, fines, and community service.
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Contact:
Cara Cromwell
(401) 440-0090
cara@cromwellpublicaffairs.com
