Your DUI Arrest: Is It More Than Just A Legal Problem?
ShareA DUI can be a life-changing event, but no matter how the case turns out in court, the incident should give you serious cause to reflect on your actions. If you're not in control of your alcohol consumption, it's in charge of you and that's a dangerous, destructive and depressing way to live. Don't simply figure out a way to beat the rap, get to the underlying problem and find a way to solve it.
Can You Beat Your DUI Charge?
A good lawyer may be able to help you beat a charge of driving under the influence, but other factors will influence your case and should be considered when you're preparing your defense:
- Taking medications that caused you to be impaired (without your foreknowledge)
- A medical condition that suddenly affected your abilities to operate a vehicle
- The probable cause for which you were pulled over
- The validity of a field sobriety test
These and other details surrounding your arrest can be presented to a court on your behalf, showing that either you were not actually intoxicated or that the law was not followed and you were somehow denied your rights. However, it's best to let a lawyer lead the way with legal proceedings.
How Much Alcohol Did You Consume?
Had you not been arrested, you likely should not have been driving no matter how much you had to drink. The rule of thumb, for your own safety and that of others, should always be to avoid getting behind the wheel when you have alcohol in your system. If you're frequently breaking that rule, your problem may extend beyond one DUI charge.
Why Did You Decide To Drive?
Sober, it's easy to that someone else isn't capable of driving after having a few drinks, but when you're that person drinking, your judgement isn't sound. You should always assume that even one drink is too many and be prepared to make your way home or elsewhere by some other means than driving yourself.
Do You Drive After Drinking Regularly?
The average person caught operating under the influence has already driven while impaired by alcohol 80 times. If this is something you're doing as a habit, it's a disaster waiting to happen both for you and everyone else on the road.
Make a conscious decision to avoid driving if you even have just one drink. Facilitate this wise decision by putting a taxi app on your phone so there's always a safe ride home or by turning your own back yard into a quarantined party zone. Designated drivers are also very helpful, as are devices you can buy that will tell you what your blood-alcohol level is. With so many options, there's really no excuse to drive when you've been drinking.
What A DUI Can Do To Your Life
Even if your DUI did not result in loss of life or injury, you're still facing a world of difficulty. While an attorney will help you navigate the rough legal waters, they can't offset the following:
- Loss of current employment
- Loss of your driving privileges
- Potential loss of future employment involving certain positions
- Expensive court fines
- Possible jail time
- Exorbitant insurance rates
- Shame and humiliation with family, friends and colleges
- Court-ordered substance abuse counseling
- Financial hardship
The Other People Harmed By Drunk Drivers
Someone dies every 51 minutes as a result of drunk driving. Could you live with yourself if your impaired driving killed a child or paralyzed his mother? In 2013 alone, more than 10,000 people were killed as a direct result of alcohol consumption and driving. Having a few drinks after work and then driving home is not a casual event, it's a potentially life-ending crime.
What Do You Do Now?
While a talented DUI lawyer may be able to clear your name of alcohol-related charges, they are powerless to stop you from driving under the influence in the future. How you handle yourself is completely up to you, but with so much at stake, you've got to ask yourself some hard questions. Failure to resolve the problem of out of control drinking will follow you around until it's solved, one way or another. You could face future arrests or find yourself responsible for taking someone's life.
You're not automatically an alcoholic if you've been caught driving drunk, but you probably have a serious problem to solve nonetheless. Consider yourself lucky to be alive, follow the good advice of your attorney, click here for info on things you can do to make the positive changes in your life that are needed, sooner rather than later.