It’s the holiday season once again. For most of us, that means more family gatherings, parties, and community events. For law enforcement, it means more drunk drivers on the road, more patrols, and more arrests.
It’s normal for many of us to enjoy alcohol more frequently around the holidays, but it’s also important for us to take steps so that celebrating with our friends and families doesn’t mean getting behind the wheel after we’ve had too much. Fortunately, there are a few easy, proactive steps we can take this holiday season to avoid an OVI charge and still partake in all the celebrating.
Select a Designated Driver
It may sound cliché, but using a designated driver to get to and from your next holiday gathering is still the safest way to avoid drunk driving. This may mean taking your turn to abstain from drinking at one social event or two, but ensuring that you avoid a criminal charge is more than worth it.
Ride-Sharing
Ride share services like Lyft and Uber have already been credited with a drop in drunk driving arrests in some communities. If you haven’t yet tried the service, try downloading it to your smartphone this holiday season. You might be surprised by how easy it is to use, how cheap many of the rides are, and how stress-free it can make getting around.
Prepare for Overnight Guests
If you’re hosting a gathering, consider preparing to possibly host one or two of your guests who may have had too many overnight. This doesn’t mean your holiday event has to become a sleepover– but keeping a few pillows and blankets on hand means that drivers who should be kept off the road can safely go home the following morning.
Call a Taxi
Keeping a taxi service number in your phone (or one ready for guests to use) is a great option for getting home safe after you’ve been drinking. It may be more expensive that other alternatives, but is still a fraction of the cost of having to deal with OVI fines and penalties.
If you have been arrested this holiday season for drunk driving, we invite you to contact us at The Law Offices of Saia, Marrocco & Jensen Inc. today. Our knowledgeable and proven Columbus OVI defense lawyers are regionally renowned and industry recognized for their prowess in this practice area. They can ensure that every avenue towards a dismissal or reduction on your behalf is aggressively pursued both in and outside the courtroom.
Start exploring your legal options now. Contact us today.
