Summer months often mean parties, grilling, and holidays like the Fourth of July. Unfortunately, law enforcement also reports that these months can mean an increased risk of drunk driving incidents in Hollywood, South Florida, and across the country.
There’s no way that you can prevent others from drinking and driving, but there are several things that you can do to keep you and your family safe:
Make sure that everyone in your family understands the risks of drunk driving.
Do you have new drivers in your family? Sit down with them and talk about the dangers of drunk driving and make sure that they understand that they can always contact you if they need a safe ride home. Consider having everyone in your family sign a drive sober pledge or no-distracted-driving pledge.
Offer to be a designated driver.
Make sure that your friends and family know that they can call you if they need a safe drive home – no questions asked. If you’re going out with friends to a party, offered to be a designated driver once in a while. Insist on having at least one designated driver when you head out as a group.
Plan your own parties and events to be safe.
If you’ll be serving alcohol at an event or party at your Hollywood home, make sure that you serve alcohol early on in the day and give people plenty of time to get sober before they have to drive. Offer to act as a designated driver, contact taxis for your friends and family, or offer them guest rooms to sleep in. Find alternatives and offer alternatives to help keep your friends and family safe.
Have a “get home safe” plan.
Even if you want to be a designated driver or rely on a designated driver to get home safely after drinking, make sure that you have a Plan B and Plan C in place – just in case. Keep extra money in your wallet to get home safely, install an app on your phone to find a taxi easily, or have a list of friends and family you can call for safe ride home. Having multiple options makes it easier for you to make the right decision if you have been drinking.
Don’t take small amounts of alcohol lightly.
Many drivers understand that the legal blood alcohol limit is 0.08%. Trying to determine whether you are over the limit after three drinks or two drinks is more difficult. Your body, age, weight, and physical condition can all affect how you process alcohol. It is safest to avoid driving after having any drinks. Keep in mind that even buzzed driving is drunk driving and could result in a crash.
Have you been injured by a drunk driver in Hollywood or anywhere in South Florida? Contact Flaxman Law Group at any time for a free, no obligation case review to discuss your situation. You may have more legal options than you realize to seek compensation and to hold the inebriated driver responsible for their actions. The attorneys at our law firm would be pleased to review your options in a free, no obligation case analysis.