Every 50 minutes, a person in the United States is killed in a vehicle accident that involves a drunk driver. In 2016, alcohol-impaired drivers accounted for 28% of all traffic-related deaths in the U.S.
Drunk driving is an incredibly dangerous thing to do, as it can injure or kill you, your passengers, or other innocent people on the road. Even if you don’t get into an accident, being charged and convicted with a DUI can have seriously negative repercussions on nearly every aspect of your life including DUI license suspension.
There’s nothing wrong with having a few drinks every now and then, but it’s essential to always have a plan for how you are going to get around Aurora and the surrounding area without ever driving under the influence.
Let’s take a look at some of the ways you can avoid a license suspension, or an even worse outcome, when you’ve been drinking.
Take Public Transit
Taking the train or a bus is a much cheaper way to get home than a cab or an Uber, and it avoids the outcome where you drive yourself home after drinking. While it might not be the most glamorous of options, if you live in a place like Aurora with reliable public transportation, then this is always an option. Make sure you look up the schedule before going out to ensure that the bus will still be running when you’re done having a good time.
Find a Designated Driver
One of the best options for avoiding driving under the influence is picking someone trustworthy and reliable to be the designated driver. Emphasis on trustworthy and reliable here, because it’s absolutely essential that your DD doesn’t end up getting tipsy before they’re responsible for driving everyone home.
At the beginning of the night, agree on who will stay sober in order to safely drive everyone home.
Call a Cab or an Uber
The ability to order an Uber or call a cab means that you pretty much always have a safe way of getting home. It isn’t the cheapest way to get around, but paying the fare and tip is worth it when it means you aren’t in danger of a DUI license suspension or worse.
Spend the Night
This tip only works for parties where you know the hosts or when you’re at a friend’s house in Aurora, as your local bar probably won’t be too keen on you spending the night in one of the booths. It’s always best to come up with a plan before you start drinking so you don’t have to make decisions when your thinking is altered.
If you’ve had your driver’s license revoked in Illinois as a resident, you can learn more here about how we can help.
Wait Several Hours Before Driving
The only way that you can sober up is with time. Taking a shower, drinking coffee, and chugging water won’t help you avoid driving while intoxicated.
Your body can process roughly one drink an hour. If you feel like you’ve had a few too many, hang out for a few hours and help the host clean up. Take a walk, eat some food, watch a movie, or do something else to occupy your time when you’re waiting for your body to burn off the alcohol.
Call a Friend
If you find yourself in a bind having drunk too much with no way to get home, consider calling a friend to come and pick you up. Maybe you can even come up with an agreement with a good friend about parameters for giving each other rides home when one of you spends a night having a few drinks and the other stays home.
Know Yourself and Pace Yourself
Different people have different tolerances to alcohol. Men tend to metabolize alcohol faster than women, and heavier people metabolize alcohol faster than lighter people. There are a number of other factors that influence how much alcohol a person’s body can process in a certain amount of time, though, so it’s best to simply learn where your limit is.
If you are hanging out with friends and you are planning on driving yourself home in Aurora, pacing yourself and being self-conscious about how much you drink can help you avoid a DUI. A combination of restraining yourself from overindulging and waiting for your body to process the alcohol can mean you aren’t intoxicated when it’s time to go home.
Don’t Drink on an Empty Stomach
When your stomach is full, alcohol is absorbed by the body more slowly. On an empty stomach, it causes a rapid spike in blood alcohol.
If you drink when you’re dehydrated or hungry, it can hit you harder and quicker. This means that having one beer out with friends on an empty stomach could actually leave you feeling unfit to drive, even if one beer isn’t usually a problem when you’ve just eaten a meal.
Give Someone Your Keys
If you have a bad habit of trying to drive yourself home after you’ve had a few too many, consider giving a trustworthy friend your keys before you start drinking. Tell them that they shouldn’t give you the keys back under any circumstance until it is the next day.
Driving Under the Influence is Never Worth it in Aurora or Anywhere
When it comes to finding a way back to your Aurora home when you’ve been drinking, there are pretty much always other options than driving yourself home. Whether you get a hotel for the night, stay with friends, call an Uber, or find a ride with someone sober, there are countless ways to avoid driving under the influence.
If you are looking to get your driver’s license reinstated in Illinois, the Law Offices of John M. Quinn & Associates is here to help. Contact us today for a free consultation.
