New Year’s is a time spent with friends and family, awaiting the arrival of a new year that is expected to be filled with exciting opportunities. While many spend this holiday out celebrating their accomplishments from the past 12 months, there are a few things we want you to keep in mind as you are likely in the midst of making your plans for the holiday right now.
- Know how you are getting to and from your destination. If you plan on drinking, be sure you have an alternate form of transportation to get you home. Perhaps you can download the Uber or Lyft app prior to going out so that you can submit your request for a ride when it is time to get home. This way you can enjoy yourself and not have to worry about being pulled over for driving drunk.
- Don’t drink and drive. Although this has been reiterated time and time again, the fact is, officers are going to be out in full force looking for anyone who might be somewhat suspicious of driving while under the influence. So, rather be safe than sorry, avoid driving after drinking at all costs.
- Assign a designated driver. Although the tradition for New Year’s is to toast with a glass of champagne, remember, any bit of alcohol in your system puts you at risk of driving with an impairment. Buzzed driving is still drunk driving and officers aren’t going to be lenient on you, even if your BAC, blood-alcohol content level is below 0.08, which is the legal limit. Remember, you can still be arrested for DUI if you display any type of reckless behavior, even if your BAC level is below the legal limit. Therefore, if you plan on drinking, having a designated driver selected ahead of time.
Mlive.com highlighted that in 2014 alone, 35,060 people were arrested in Michigan for drunk driving and 1,093 of those individuals were arrested in Ingham County. While that statistic reflects the entire year, many DUI arrests are generally made during the holiday times.
Don’t Make the Mistake of Drinking and Driving this Holiday Season
There is no worse way to start 2018 off than with a DUI charge pending on your record or with you being faced with a drunk driving accident charge. In the event you have already been arrested for DUI or have a loved one who was and their arrest was made in Lansing, East Lasing, Charlotte, Grand Ledge, St. Johns, Okemos, or Dewitt, criminal defense attorney Stuart R. Shafer can work with you to help get these charges reduced.
You can contact The Law Offices of Stuart R. Shafer, P.C. now by calling 517-487-6603 and get your consultation scheduled as soon as possible.
