With the Holiday season coming up, planning safe transportation is essential. Whether it is an intimate family dinner or a family/friends party, anyone who is drinking and not staying the night, should have a sober ride home. Every vehicle leaving your gathering should have a designated driver. This should be a mandate and not an option.  It is a simple act of of care that protects your family, friends, and the community as a whole.

Many cities, towns and counties  around Washington increase impaired-driving enforcement during the Thanksgiving holiday by setting up DUI patrol emphasis. in many other states, DUI checkpoints are still legal where officers look for signs of intoxication and may request field sobriety tests or administer a breathalyzer to measure a driver’s blood alcohol content after stopping your vehicle.

While DUI checkpoints are not legal in every state, those jurisdictions that allow them must follow strict guidelines, including using neutral, predetermined criteria for selecting which drivers to stop.

This added scrutiny isn’t limited to Thanksgiving Day. The night before Thanksgiving which is often called “Drinksgiving” or “Blackout Wednesday”, it is considered one of the busiest drinking nights of the year. With college students back in town and bars packed, driving and driving on that Wednesday night can be risky.

If you volunteer as the designated driver you are performing a vital role in protecting the community. Along with that responsibility comes the need to be extra alert. Not only must you remain completely sober, but you also need to be prepared for impaired drivers who may be sharing the road.

The safest option is to avoid alcohol altogether if you plan to drive. Even “a drink or two” can affect judgment and reaction time. Time is the only thing that reduces alcohol’s impact, and even mild impairment can lead to severe consequences, including accidents, arrest, or license suspension.

Also remember: your passengers may not be thinking clearly if they’ve been drinking. Make sure everyone is buckled up and don’t hesitate to pull over if someone becomes too distracting.

If your plan to stay sober changes and you end up drinking, don’t get behind the wheel. Instead, take advantage of safer alternatives such as: 1) Public Transportation, 2) Taxi and/or Rideshare Services, and/or 3) Calling a sober friend or family member.

Even if there’s holiday surge pricing, a rideshare is far cheaper and safer than dealing with a DUI arrest, towing fees, court costs, or potential harm to yourself or other.

If you notice someone else attempting to drive while impaired, step in. Offer them a safe ride or help them arrange one. The car can wait until tomorrow.

The later the hour, the greater the chance of encountering impaired drivers, especially when bars begin to close. Someone else’s poor decisions shouldn’t become your emergency

If you or a loved one is in a bind as a result of criminal allegations immediately contact a Seattle DUI Attorney. A Seattle Criminal Defense Attorney is not going to judge you and understands that everyone makes mistakes. Hiring a Seattle DUI Lawyer to help can – at a minimum – reduce penalties and can help direct people on how to best deal with their criminal charge, and many times even get them dismissed. So, it should go without saying that someone cited for a misdemeanor or felony should hire a qualified Seattle Criminal Lawyer as soon as possible. Criminal charges can cause havoc on a person’s personal and professional life. Anyone charged with a crime in Washington State should immediately seek the assistance of a seasoned Seattle Criminal Lawyer. SQ Attorneys can be reached at (425) 359-3791 and/or (206) 441-0900.