Tips for avoiding a DUI this holiday season

The holidays are quickly approaching. It’s the time of year when we let loose and celebrate. We gather with family and friends to eat, drink and be merry.

However, Christmas and New Year’s are also two of the deadliest days of the year to be on the road. Traffic fatalities are 2 – 3 times more likely on these days, and 40 percent of these fatalities are caused by drunk drivers.

While it’s common for many people to enjoy a drink on these holidays, there is a tendency to fail to account for the effects of alcohol on their system when they get behind the wheel. Many drunk drivers don’t even realize they’re impaired—because they don’t feel intoxicated.

It’s important to understand that alcohol remains in your blood stream—and continues to impair your judgment—long after you drink it. Drinking coffee or water afterwards will not effectively sober you up. Therefore, it’s worth planning how you’ll get home before your night out.

• Designated driver: If you’re going out with a group, elect one person to stay sober for the night and drive everyone else home.
• Spend the night: If you’re going to a friend’s party, consider spending the night at their house—and driving home in the morning. It’s a less dangerous time to be on the road anyway.
• Other transportation: Arrange to book a ride home through a professional rideshare service. Alternatively, you can plan to take public transportation home—though you should be aware that SCAT bus services do not operate on Christmas Day or New Year’s Day. However, they do operate on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

Florida police patrol heavily for drunk drivers on Christmas and New Year’s. Planning out safe transportation can help you avoid criminal charges and serious injury.