How to Avoid Drinking and Driving
By Space Coast Daily // July 28, 2020
Most of us know that drinking and driving don’t mix. However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are more than 300,000 incidents of drinking and driving every day.
This is an alarming statistic, especially when you consider that drinking and driving can result in death or serious injury. In fact, almost 30 people die each day in the U.S. as a result of drunk driving accidents. And, accidents where alcohol was a factor claim more than 10,000 lives each year.
Luckily, these numbers are continuing to decrease. However, deaths related to drinking and driving are 100 percent preventable, and preventing these deaths starts with you.
Check out this guide to learn how to avoid drinking and driving.
1. Understand the Consequences
Understanding the consequences of drinking and driving can help you avoid the temptation to even consider getting behind the wheel while intoxicated.
Punishment for driving drunk may come with a heavy price.
As mentioned, the first and most serious consequence is being responsible for the serious injury or death of yourself or someone else. But, besides the obvious risk of causing physical injury, there are other ramifications to being caught drinking and driving.
If you are pulled over and deemed drunk by a police officer, you will receive a DUI (driving under the influence.) If you want to contest your DUI, you’ll need to hire a lawyer.
If you’re convicted for a DUI, some consequences are:
• Fees and fines
• Temporary suspension of your driver’s license
• Job loss (depending on the industry you work in, you could even lose your license to practice)
• Court-mandated community service
• Court-mandated participation in a drunk driving education program
• Jail time
Luckily, you can avoid all of this by simply choosing not to drink and drive.
2. Take a Cab
If you’ve had a night out and ended up drinking more than you had planned, don’t drive home. Instead, take a cab, Uber, or Lyft home.
With the plethora of transportation options available today, there should be no reason to drive after you’ve been drinking. If you don’t want to spend money on a cab, call a friend or family member to take you home.
If you are worried that you will be tempted to drive after drinking, then avoid the temptation by leaving your car at home altogether when going out for the evening, and taking a cab instead.
Remember, taking a cab home is a lot cheaper than paying a DUI fine, as these can cost thousands of dollars.
3. Avoid Drinking on an Empty Stomach
If you drink on an empty stomach, the alcohol is going to hit you much faster than if you were full and your blood alcohol levels are going to spike.
So, even though you may normally have no problem driving after a drink or two, driving after a drink or two on an empty stomach can seriously impair you. To avoid this issue, do not have even one drink on an empty stomach, if you know you need to drive.
4. Know Your Limits
It’s also very important to understand your own personal alcohol limits. Most people can metabolize about one drink per hour.
However, men and heavier people can metabolize a bit more, while women and thinner people sometimes need a bit longer to metabolize even one drink. Additionally, tolerance, diet, and other factors can all play a role in how fast it takes you to metabolize a drink.
A general rule of thumb is that if you’re going to drive, don’t consume more than one drink per hour. And, make sure to drink water and eat something between each drink.
Now that you have these tips to avoid drinking and driving, it’s time to put them into action. Follow our guidelines to help ensure that you and other drivers stay safe on the road. Be sure to implement them into your life immediately, to save a life in the future.
If you have any questions, please comment below.
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