Many adults enjoy consuming alcoholic beverages on nights out. For the majority, this does not pose a problem. While people may get rowdy, overall, there is no harm. The same cannot be said for those who choose reckless driving while under the influence of drink or drugs.
The penalty of being caught driving under an influence will be dependant on the amount of alcohol found in your blood, as well as if you have crashed your vehicle or, worse still, injured anyone. Naturally, any second DUI consequences, and so forth, will most likely be worse than your primary conviction.
You may not even be given a second chance if your license was stripped from you in the first instance, meaning any secondary offenses will also come with a conviction for driving without a license, increasing the severity and any penalties.
To avoid receiving a DUI, there are some remarkably simple steps you can take. These won’t alter your life a great deal in the moment but can help prevent you from ruining your life with a criminal conviction.
Take Other Transport
If you are going on a night out, and know drink will be involved, it can be a much wiser option to leave your car at home. There are so many options for public transport with buses, trains, subways, taxis, and then branded transport such as Uber and Lyft. These might cost you a little extra in the present, but their transport fees are laughable in comparison to a DUI fine.
If you have stopped off, after work for example, and find you’ve had a few too many drinks, it can again be worthwhile using a form of public transport to get home. You can then return the following day, once you have allowed your body enough time to dispel the alcohol, to collect your car.
The option of public transport means you have no excuse for driving under the influence. If you cannot afford the extra cost of a taxi, or they don’t run in your area, then you shouldn’t be out drinking.
Look at Your Consumption
Going out for the occasional drink, or even very non-frequent benders, usually don’t indicate a problem. If you find you can’t function without drink or drugs, then this is usually an indicator of an addiction. Not only can this increase your likelihood of receiving a DUI, but it can also pose a number of health problems, depending on the substance you are using.
Getting help for addiction is a good first step. Again, you should still not be driving after consumption, so it could even be beneficial to get rid of your car while you beat this, to remove the temptation of being able to drive.
Drink and drugs can cause a level of false bravado, where you feel invincible and like you are completely in control. Sadly, this is not the case and, other than a DUI, this is also where you or others could end up getting hurt.
If you can look at your nights out and lifestyle objectively, you will be able to put measures into place. This means it will be physically impossible for you to receive any form of DUI as you have made smart, and legal, life choices.
