December Is National Drunk and Drugged Driving Awareness Month

Throughout the year we do our best to bring attention to the dangers of getting behind the wheel after having had a few drinks or doing drugs.  In the month of December there is reason to spend more time talking about this incredibly important topic as it is one of the months of the year where there is an elevated danger of people driving drunk or under the influence of drugs.  This dangerous behavior can lead to a New Haven auto accident and it is something that is preventable.

The dangers presented by driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs are many, so we strongly encourage you to not partake in this type of behavior.  If you do get behind the wheel while under the influence you may need a DUI defense attorney to work with you to protect your long-term interests.  Contact our office and we can help.

What are the most important things you can do to keep yourself and your passengers safe this holiday season as you head out to celebrate the season with friends and family?

First, you should spend a few minutes planning your visits if you’re thinking that you will be drinking alcohol or doing drugs of any kind.  You will want to think about a few things as you’re deciding how you want to celebrate the holidays.  Will you be traveling a long distance?  If so, you may want to get a hotel or ask the person you are visiting if they would be comfortable with you spending the night.  Even a distance of an hour away may seem relatively short, but after you’ve had a few drinks you should not be getting into your vehicle and driving home.  Staying the night may be the safer thing to do.  Will you be traveling late at night?  One of the most dangerous times to travel is at night when there are more vehicles on the road with people who are driving that are potentially tired or under the influence of a substance.  If you can avoid traveling at night, you will be safer in the long run.  These are just a couple of the things you should think about as you’re planning your holiday visits.

Second, when you’ve decided how and when you will be getting to and from your destination you should identify someone as your designated driver.  This should be someone who will not be partaking in drinking or doing drugs of any kind for the entire night.  While it requires a small sacrifice from this person, it will also be a very rewarding position for her/him to be in when they are able to get behind the wheel safely at the end of the evening and get everyone home without incident.  If you do not have someone who is willing to celebrate sober, you will want to plan on getting a ride home using a ride share service or a cab.  While this carries some dangers as well, it is a safer alternative to driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Finally, you will want to make sure that no matter what your choices above are you should share them with those who you will be spending time with.  When you’re partying with a group of people, whether family or friends, it is important that they are all aware of your choices so they can encourage you to stick to your choices as the night goes on.  It can become challenging to stick to a decision that you made, let’s say for instance to be the designated driver, when people around you are drinking or doing drugs to celebrate.  The more people that are aware of your plan, the better your chances are to sticking to it.

As the month of December is underway we will be discussing more and more information about the dangers of drunk and drugged driving and also how you can make sure you are staying safe behind the wheel and not getting into a New Haven auto accident.  You can bookmark this page and come back often so you have all of the information you need to make good, informed decisions.

If you’re planning any type of celebration during the month of December we wish you a good time while staying safe and healthy.