Christmas is right around the corner, and if you’ll be getting in the holiday spirit by consuming some holiday spirits, you need to make some smart decisions to avoid a DWI. So how can you ensure you avoid Santa’s naughty list and a DWI arrest this holiday season? Below, we share five tips for avoiding a DWI if you plan on drinking alcohol at a holiday get-together this winter.
Avoiding A Holiday DWI
It’s easy to say that you can avoid a DWI simply by choosing not to drink alcohol this holiday season, and while that’s true, that doesn’t make for a very helpful blog. Instead, we want to offer some tips for people who expect to have a cocktail or two at their holiday party. If you expect to drink at your holiday get-together, here’s how you can avoid a DWI charge.
1. Plan Your Ride Home Before You Start Drinking – This is our go-to advice whenever there is a holiday weekend or major event in which drinking may be involved. Make sure that you plan your ride home before you start drinking. Know how you’re getting home before you start drinking so that you don’t end up in a position where you can make a poor decision later on.
2. Know What You’re Drinking – The holiday season can be a time where we try some seasonal drinks like eggnog or a hot toddy, but these mixed drinks can make it difficult for you to understand how much alcohol you’ve consumed. Mix your own cocktails and drinks so that you can be mindful of how much alcohol is in your cup. Two self-poured eggnogs may not put you over the legal limit, but two of the same poured by your Uncle Dennis may put you above 0.08, so port your own drinks this holiday season.
3. Stay Over – If you’re doing a Christmas party with friends or are heading to your in-laws to celebrate the holiday, consider staying over at their house if they are offering to let people stay over. If the host lets it be known that guests can stay over, take advantage of this offer if you drink to the point where it would be illegal to drive home.
4. Rely On Public Transportation Options – If you’re trying to figure out the best way to get to and from your holiday party, make sure that you look into public transportation options. While Ubers and Lyfts may be a little tougher to come by on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, the Twin Cities has other options like the city buses or the light rail system to help you get to and from your destination. These continue to operate on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, so look up their schedules if you want to utilize the public transportation system to help you get home safe.
5. Mix In Food And Water – Drinking water or eating food won’t help you sober up faster, but they can help to slow down your alcohol consumption, which can help keep your BAC at a legal level. Drink a water between every beer, or grab some snacks and take a break from drinking for a bit. Again, these won’t help to sober you up if you’ve already drank too much to drive, but you can switch to water or snack on some food so that you’re doing more at the holiday party than just drinking alcohol.
We hope that you have a wonderful holiday season, but if you run into any legal trouble, we hope you’ll reach out to Avery and the team at Appelman Law Firm. For more information, or for help 24/7 throughout the holidays, give us a call at (952) 224-2277.
