During the holiday season, more people will be out eating, drinking, and being merry. So, the odds of getting arrested for a DWI are higher. Alcohol-related driving fatalities are more common from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day, which is one of the most disturbing statistics (especially when it’s during a time that’s supposed to be cheerful). You can keep from becoming one of these DWI-related statistics if you take certain steps to avoid any drunk-driving consequences over the holidays.
What You Can Do to Avoid a DWI in Texas During the Holidays
Here are some things you can do to avoid a DWI in Texas during the holiday season:
- Don’t drink and drive — The easiest and best way to keep from getting a Texas DWI is not to drink if you plan to drive or can’t find a designated driver. Driving drunk doesn’t just affect you. It’s dangerous for everyone else who shares the road.
- Make sure you’re under the legal limit — Like every other state, Texas has a legal blood alcohol content (BAC) level under which you’re permitted to drive. And one way to avoid getting a DWI in Texas is to keep it under control. One way to keep your BAC down is to eat while you drink, because food will help your body to digest the alcohol. You can calculate your BAC based on your weight, but you need to be careful about how many drinks you have per hour.
- Drive safely — Safety should always come first when you’re driving. But when you’re out drinking, you need pay close attention to all traffic laws. Now isn’t the time to beat the yellow light or roll through that stop sign. Your attention should be on the road, so texting and chatting on your phone or messing with the radio isn’t a good idea.
- Behave yourself — If you get pulled over by a police officer, be polite and cooperative while complying with his or her requests. This can include retrieving your driver’s license and agreeing to sobriety tests.
- Stay Sober — You can’t get arrested for a DWI in Texas if you don’t drink at all. You can also serve as a “designated driver” to anyone who plans to drink at that time.
- Find someone reliable to be your “designated driver” — If you plan to drink at a certain event, you can ask someone to be your designated driver. Just make sure it’s someone you know will stay sober even when he or she is faced with peer pressure.
- Use a rideshare service to request a ride — If you’re not able to find a designated driver, you can always use a rideshare service to get home safely. But there’s one thing you should keep in mind. When there’s a great deal of demand for rides, surge prices will apply. So, you should expect to pay the highest fares between midnight and 3:00am.
- Stay at a friend’s place or book a hotel — If you live far from the event and you have a friend who lives close to the venue, you can ask him or her to spend the night so you don’t have to drive back home. If you don’t know anyone who lives close to the event, you can book a room at the closest hotel or motel.
- Host a holiday party — You can avoid leaving your home in the first place by hosting an event in your own home. Just make sure you’re open to someone spending the night or to make driving arrangements for your guests.
- Don’t rely on the “one drink an hour” rule — Everyone gets a different reaction to alcohol, so the rule of having one drink every hour won’t work for everyone. Some people can absorb and eliminate the alcohol from a single drink in just one hour, but there have been many cases where someone followed this rule and still got arrested for a Texas DWI.
- Be aware of your own limit — When it comes to alcohol, everyone is different. What one person can tolerate may be too much for someone else. Make sure you know your limit, because it will keep you from having more than you can handle.
If you have been charged with a DWI in Texas and need to hire one of the best criminal lawyers in Corpus Christi, TX, be sure to get in touch with Gale Law Group. We would be happy to speak wit you about your case!