A night out on the town might be just what you need after a hectic week at work. However, if you aren’t careful, you may end up getting a DWI because you had too much to drink but still got behind the wheel of your car to drive home. Worse, you could get into an accident, injuring or even killing others. Before heading out for a night out on the town, check out these tips to avoid a DWI arrest.
Have a Designated Driver
One of the easiest ways you can avoid getting a DWI is by having a designated driver. Offer to pay for one of your friend’s meals and non-alcoholic beverages if they will drive you to and from your destination. Your friend probably won’t mind giving up drinking for the evening and driving you around if they will get a free meal out of it.
Limit the Number of Drinks That You Have
You can still have fun during your night out on the town and avoid a DWI if you limit how much you have to drink. Make sure you have no more than two drinks an hour, and don’t drink any alcohol for at least an hour before you head home.
Download a Ride-sharing App Onto Your Phone
Many individuals utilize a ride-sharing service when they’ve had too much to drink. You can make it easier by downloading and setting up a ride-sharing app before you go out on the town. You’re better off downloading it before you go out even if you aren’t sure you’ll need to use it. This will keep you from having to deal with trying to figure out how to download it after you’ve become intoxicated. Set up your profile information and put in your payment information before you go out so that you don’t have to struggle with it later.
Book a Hotel Near Where You’ll Be Drinking
A lot of people find that it’s worth the cost to book a hotel room near where they’ll be drinking. Once you are finished with your night on the town, you can just walk to your hotel room and not have to worry about trying to figure out how you’ll get home.
If you do get caught behind the wheel with a BAC that is too high, you could face some serious consequences, including fines, a revoked driver’s license, community service, or even jail time. A conviction will also show up on future background checks and could increase your car insurance rates. A DWI attorney can work with you to reduce or completely eliminate the charge. They’ll look for things like inaccuracies in breathalyzer test results, medical conditions, and mistakes in the police procedures or reports.
Even if you just have a couple of drinks in a short period of time, you may be too intoxicated to drive home. You shouldn’t risk driving as you may wind up getting a DWI or hurting yourself or others. There are plenty of ways that you can avoid getting a DWI arrest after enjoying a night out on the town.
Author information: Anita is a freelance writer from Denver, CO. She studied at Colorado State University and now writes articles about health, business, family, and finance. A mother of two, she enjoys traveling with her family whenever she isn’t writing. You can follow her on Twitter @anitaginsburg.
