Drunk driving isn’t just a problem when you get caught and have to fight off the traffic ticket. Sure, you’d have to get a DUI lawyer, pay a lot of fines, possibly do jail time and face a lot of consequences but in the process, you’d hurt a lot of people. Driving under the influence is a very serious crime and it’s because it can cause some serious problems and heart ache for the people affected by your mistakes. The next time you get in a situation where you think you are going to have to drive drunk, make sure that you take the necessary precautions before you are actually intoxicated. Once you are drunk it can be difficult to make responsible decisions so that has to be done beforehand. Here are a few things you can do to make sure that you and everyone around you stays safe even while drinking.
Designate a Driver
This is where at least one person in the party isn’t drinking. A designated driver is a very popular way to party. It doesn’t matter who drives to the party as long as the designated driver gets the keys once you arrive. The person who is not drinking needs to be someone will a lot of self discipline and will. It’s hard not to drink when everyone else is. The driver should not even have one drink, no matter how much they think that they will be able to handle it. Even one drink can result is drunk driving.
Don’t Take the Car
If you don’t bring the car, then you won’t be able to drive it. By leaving the car behind, you are doing away with all possibilities of drunk driving. You can either take the bus, subway, uber a car or a taxi depending on how the public transport system works where you live. There is bound to be another way that you can get to and from each party safely. If you are going to be using other forms of travel, make sure that you are with other people. Going home alone in a taxi when you are drunk can be dangerous because depending on how drunk you are, you might not be aware of your surroundings. This could result in being taken advantage of financially or physically or even just give out the wrong address to go home. There is safety in numbers in these cases.
Drink Responsibly
Do not drink until you are so drunk that you can’t even remember what happens the next day. Even a small amount of drinking can affect your ability to respond correctly to situations so make sure that you know your limits. A lot of times, when people are feeling depressed or some other type of negative emotion, they can tend to drink a lot more than necessary. If you are feeling this way, then let a friend know that you need to be watched. Once they feel like you have had enough then they can cut you off. Either way, you shouldn’t be driving in that state, even if you are drinking responsibly.
Have Someone on Call
Probably the best way to make sure that you are safe while drinking is to have someone drop you off at the party and then pick you up at a certain time. Or, you could just have that person standing by, ready for your call. That would work if you aren’t sure what time you’ll want to leave the party. It’s always good to have a decent exit strategy anyways in case something happens during the party that you need to get away from quickly.
If you don’t drive after drinking then it stands to reason that you won’t get arrested for driving drunk. You can’t be arrested if you aren’t in the driver seat. Not only will you not be arrested but you’ll be protecting yourself, those in the car with you as well as the other people on the road that night. During the holidays, there are is lot of drinking that happens, as well as drunk driving so make sure that you are clued up and ready to go before heading out to any holiday parties this year.