During the summer, especially around the days of big holidays like Independence Day or Memorial Day, the number of people who decide to drive under the influence after a night of partying increases, and so do the number of fatalities.

In just 2019 alone, there were more than 36,000 drunk driving-related deaths in the US.

Most people who drink and drive out of necessity don’t realize that riding a vehicle with a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) level of 0.8 or higher is illegal in the United States.

Follow these tips to help minimize the chances of getting convicted or losing thousands of dollars due to a DUI charge.

How Can You Prevent a DUI Accident?

1. Get a Designated Driver

If you plan to go all out on a late-night Independence Day party, arrange a designated driver, preferably someone who won’t be drinking that night. This could be your friend, family member, or professional driver. But if you can’t get a driver, it’s best to use public transport.

2. Call a Taxi or Ride-Sharing Service

If picking a designated driver doesn’t work and public transport is available for you, call a taxi or ride-sharing services like Lyft and Uber. Although these rideshare apps tend to get expensive around the holiday season, it’s ultimately much cheaper than a DUI. Make sure you charge your phone before leaving home so you won’t have issues calling a rideshare service.

3. Ask the Host to Stay Overnight

If arranging transportation isn’t possible for you due to a chain of unfortunate events, ask the event host if you can stay overnight at their house in advance.

4. Know Your Limit

Finally, the last step of avoiding a DUI is to practice prevention. Keep track of your drinks and know when to stop. Learn to hold back before it gets too ugly, and you end up drinking a whole party’s worth of alcohol.

How Damaging Can a DUI Charge Be?

We know that driving with a BAC level of at least 0.8 is illegal, but can you get arrested for a lower BAC?

Well, the answer is yes, which might be surprising for a lot of people. This usually happens when people with less than 0.8 BAC level drive irresponsibly, weave, drift along multiple lanes, and show various signs of impairment. Common effects of a 0.8 level include:

• Poor muscle coordination, meaning loss of balance, slurring, stammering, slow reaction time, etc
• Not being able to detect danger
• Insufficient concentration on the road
• Short-term loss of memory
• The incapability of processing information
• Impaired perception and vision

If you happen to get in a DUI accident, your first step should be to hire a DUI attorney from a law firm like Alan Pearse and arrange medical assistance immediately.

Many states also have regulations that can get a commercial driver arrested if they drive with a BAC level of 0.4. Similarly, teens with a BAC level of 0.2 or under can also get stopped while driving. Most states also charge DUI charges for driving under the influence of drugs like cocaine and marijuana.

In addition to the legal consequences, the financial toll of a DUI is exceptionally high. Besides having your driving license suspended for 30 days or longer and possibly getting assigned jail time or community service, you’ll have to empty your pockets for many DUI charges. The minimum cost of a DUI for most people is over 45,000.