The holidays are a happy time for most — spending time with family, catching up on old times, and filling up on delicious food and drinks. Unfortunately, that last bit can fuel some unintended consequences.
Excessive drinking can be a recipe for serious accidents at home and on the road. Even in instances where no one is injured, over-indulging might lead you seeking a repeat DUI lawyer to navigate repeated offenses. Rather than subject yourself to the legal trouble, though, how about you read up on these common sense methods for avoiding a DUI during the tempting holiday season.
Avoid Drinking And Driving
At its core, your strategy for avoiding a DUI is simply to not drive while you’re drunk. Statistics from the NHTSA show that someone dies from a drunk driving crash once every 50 minutes in the United States. This alone is enough to deter most, but advice like “just don’t drink and drive” lacks specifics. The following are some ways you can stay smart about drinking during the holidays.
Mitigate “Intoxication Spikes”
If you drink on an empty stomach, you’ll absorb alcohol into your bloodstream faster, leading to a rapid spike in feelings of intoxication.
You can limit this, however, by making sure you eat plenty of food before drinking. This will delay the absorption of alcohol and prevent those sudden spikes in intoxication. In addition, you’ll want to avoid relying on the “one drink an hour” rule, as this does not apply evenly to everyone who drinks.
Have A Designated Driver
If you know you’re going to be drinking, then you should plan on not driving. Having a designated driver with you, who won’t be drinking at all, is usually a good way to go. This is, of course, providing that they take their responsibility seriously and don’t imbibe any alcohol during those holiday festivities.
Even if you can’t arrange to have a designated driver beforehand, you can avoid driving by calling a cab or getting a rideshare. It might be more expensive to go this route, true, but it’s certainly better than putting yourself at risk by hopping behind the wheel while you’re intoxicated.
Stay Under The Limit
If you do have to drive, then you need to make sure that you stay under the legal limit to avoid the possibility of getting a DUI. This means you’ll need to know your state laws on blood alcohol limits, and you should make sure you have the tools to estimate your blood alcohol level so you know where you stand.
