Getting a holiday DUI is not a good way to celebrate the season. It can be very dangerous, expensive, and make for a difficult future in your career and personal life. As a Clearwater DUI attorney, Dean Tsourakis has been helping clients for many years. He understands the potentially life-altering consequences and has some advice on how to avoid a holiday DUI in the first place.
How to Avoid A Holiday DUI in Florida
Here are five ways to avoid a DUI during the holiday season:
1. Remain Sober if You are Planning to Drive Anywhere
This is the obvious first go-to tip when it comes to avoiding a holiday DUI. You won’t get arrested for DUI if you stay sober. Plus – you can avoid being one of the holiday DUI statistics. Did you know that, according to the Department of Transportation, approximately 300 Americans die each year in the handful of days surrounding the Christmas and New Year’s holidays? And in the month of December alone, approximately 27 people die every day due to drunk driving wrecks. That is a sobering fact.
2. Get a Rideshare Service
If you plan to celebrate the holiday with your favorite alcoholic beverage, get a rideshare service to take you where you want to go. Companies like Lyft and Uber are so prevalent now that you can get a ride in minutes in the greater Clearwater area. That is true convenience. It is also inexpensive, particularly when you are comparing it to hefty fines and other consequences if you get a holiday DUI.
Some of the other consequences can include jail time, suspension of your driver’s license, DUI school, ignition interlock, community service, and an impounded vehicle. These consequences can greatly impact your quality of life, your ability to do your job (and hold certain professional licenses), and your future.
3. Host a Holiday Party at Your Home
Many people do not intend to drink and drive or couldn’t even imagine getting a DUI arrest — until it happens. Either they don’t realize how alcohol affects them or are too intoxicated to be thinking properly. Hosting a holiday party at your home is a smart way to avoid a holiday DUI too. While you are keeping yourself off the road, be a good friend, and provide your guests with plenty of food and snacks. And if you observe that they should not be driving, offer them somewhere to sleep it off or call a rideshare service.
4. Volunteer to Be the Designated Driver
Designated drivers can have fun too. You can enjoy celebrating the holiday with your friends and family members while providing a lifesaving (and holiday DUI) saving service. It can actually be quite enlightening to be the sober one in the bunch. It’s also a smart move around this time of year because many people who don’t usually drink (or drink very much), will consume alcohol around the holidays, and they don’t know how it will affect them. Often, the holidays are when people get their first DUI.
5. Celebrate at a Hotel
Try something different and book a hotel during the holiday season. They are usually quite festive with their decorations and offer special menu items and holiday cocktails in their restaurants and bars. Go with your romantic partner or invite a few friends for a unique holiday treat. You can enjoy your favorite beverage and never have to worry about needing to get behind the wheel all weekend. Stay off the dangerous roads and avoid a DUI. Depending on the area, you may be able to even get in a bit of sightseeing, including evening walks with sparkly Christmas lights and colorful decorations.
Dean Tsourakis, Clearwater DUI Attorney
Dean Tsourakis has been helping people in the state of Florida for decades. He understands the impacts that occur when people get behind the wheel when they shouldn’t. It can be very dangerous and potentially lethal.
Please follow these five ways to avoid a DUI to stay safe and not have to worry about a DUI arrest. But if you have been arrested, contact an attorney immediately is important.
Dean Tsourakis is a Clearwater DUI attorney that works aggressively to get the best outcome for your case. Even if you have failed a breath test, you may be able to overcome that obstacle.
If you need a DUI attorney, contact our office today at 727-785-2700 to schedule a free consultation.
on Nov 3, 2020