Avoid Drinking or Driving Drunk

Driving drunk is just about the worst decision you can make. You can avoid drinking to eliminate the problem or take other steps if you are going to be consuming alcohol.

Driving drunk is a really bad idea. Why? The penalties associated with it are brutally tough. In most states, you are going to serve at least a short time in jail, pay big fines and will lose your license. That’s only if the police catch you. What if you hit and hurt or kill someone while drinking and driving? You are looking at manslaughter charges at a minimum. That means years and years in jail as well as the guilt of knowing you ended someone’s life.

The easiest way to forgo driving drunk is to simply avoid drinking. This doesn’t mean you can’t have the odd drink every so often. It just means doing it when you are not driving. To this end, it is important to understand that impairment of driving skills does not start at .08 blood alcohol levels. That is just a legal marker where you are presumed to be drunk. The impact actually starts at .02 blood alcohol. At .05, you start to show physical impairments. If you avoid drinking, you avoid problems.

So, what if you find yourself in a situation where you can’t avoid drinking and you need to get home. Driving drunk is not the answer. What is? Get a cab. For $10 to $20, you can get home without causing harm to yourself or others. The average DUI is going to cost you upwards of $10,000 with attorney’s fees, fines and such. The cab ride is obviously a lot cheaper. You can pick up your car the next day when you are feeling better.

There is no mistaking that nightlife is built around the idea of having a good time. From concerts to clubs and bars, alcohol is ever present. You can still head to these places, but just plan ahead of time. The designated driver idea is a good, practical one. Designating one sober person to drive during the evening just makes sense. You can trade off amongst your friends if you are going out all the time. It beats dealing with the cost and nightmare of a DUI.

Driving drunk is only going to end up badly. You don’t have to avoid drinking if you don’t want to. Just make prudent plans to avoid situations where you are compelled to drive after drinking.

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