Did you know that drunk driving causes nearly one-third of the driving-related deaths in the US? Yes, drunk driving or alcohol-impaired driving accounts for more than 10,000 driving-related deaths in the country back in 2015. Driving with BAC (blood alcohol level) of 0.8 or more is already a crime.
If you consume alcohol, it will impair your driving capabilities. You become unable to control and operate a vehicle properly which can lead to an accident. Drinking and driving is a self-choice and is fully avoidable if only you can exercise preventive actions and self-awareness to keep yourself safe.
With that said, here are ways to help you avoid drinking and driving so that you can stay safe.
- Assign a designated driver.
If you and your friends have already made plans to drink the night, then make sure that you have a designated driver to drive you safely back to your home after drinking.
● Before leaving your home or apartment to go out drinking, make sure that you have a ride home.
● Find a friend you can appoint as a designated driver to drive all of you back to your homes after drinking. But make sure your selected driver won’t drink or consume alcohol.
- Don’t bring your car with you.
When you want to drink outside together with your friends, it’s better if you leave your car at home.
● This way, you’ll not think about driving after drinking since you don’t have a car with you.
● But if you’re drinking at home, it’s best if you can give the car keys to one of your family members to ensure you won’t go for a drive after drinking.
- Use public transportation.
Since you won’t be bringing your car to the bar or party, you’ll have to rely on public transportation to drive you safely back to your home. Also, you won’t get arrested by the authorities if you’re not the one driving the vehicle. You can either get a taxi, ride on a bus or a train, to get yourself back home safely.
- Avoid riding in cars that also have a drunk driver.
You can’t be riding in a car that has a drunk driver. It may be tempting to ride in your drunk friend’s car to get home faster. But this could actually put you more at risk. Always ride with a sober friend or have a designated driver to drive you safely to your home.
- Be more aware of your body when drinking.
You have to pay more attention to your body especially if you drank a lot of alcohol already, or if you’re on the brink of getting drunk. Notice any signs of impairment or slower brain function which includes slow reaction time and poor hand-eye coordination, as this can affect your ability to operate a vehicle properly. Be aware of the following signs.
● Stumbling due to poor balance.
● Slurred words or difficulty speaking clearly.
● Any inappropriate or abnormal behavior that you wouldn’t do if you were sober.
- Accept help from others.
Bystander intervention is never a bad thing especially if you’re too drunk. Other people will hate to see you in an accident because of drunk driving. There’ll be a lot of people willing to help you, all you need to do is to accept their offer. Some good people will help you and drive you home safely. If no-one is offering to help, you may need to ask for it.
● Ask a sober friend to drive you home or ask other people to call in a taxi for you.
- Call someone you can trust.
You should always bring your phone with you whenever you go out for a drink. This is to call someone you trust like a friend or a family member to come and pick you up especially if you’re too drunk. Just be sure your phone is fully charged so you can call someone after drinking, before leaving the house.
- Always stay where you are.
No matter what happens, you should stay where you are especially if you’re having a difficult time getting home safe.
● You can call a family member or a trusted friend to come pick you up and get you home safely.
● But to do that, you must stay where you are and wait for your friend or family member to arrive. This will also prevent you from getting into weird places and makes it easy for your friend or family to find you.
You don’t really want to face the consequences of drunk driving. Aside from putting yourself and others in danger, there’s a big possibility that local or state authorities will catch you because of drunk driving. You’ll be forced to spend the rest of the night in jail, pay resultant fines, and do community service later on. If this happens you may even need to call a lawyer like the one here. Use the tips above to prevent yourself from drinking and driving, so you can be back home safe and sound at the end of the night.
Author Bio: Gary Sterling is a writer contributing for Shapiro & Sternlieb, LLC. His passion for learning about various niches had him stumble upon legal and medical niches, which constantly piqued his interests. He strives to make sure his pieces are not just informative, but entertaining to read as well. He likes to read fantasy novels whenever has free time.