Any friendship can have its good days and bad days. If your friend has a DUI, things may have gotten pretty bad, at least for your friend, if not both of you. Depending on your role in the DUI, and what you do next, that friendship can be changed forever.
When your friend has a DUI, you may be the person they turn to if they have a suspended license and cannot drive. They still have to get to work, to court, and other appointments. It isn’t your responsibility, of course, but as a good friend, you’re ready to do your part to make sure your friend’s life gets back on a better road.
If your friend has an ignition interlock requirement as a consequence from their DUI, they may not need you to drive them around. They may need you to continue to offer rides, however, especially if they still intend to drink. An ignition interlock device will stop them from another DUI, but they will still be in trouble if they try to hit the road after happy hour. Also, never blow into an ignition interlock device for your friend; you could be held criminally accountable for helping them circumvent the device.
If your friend has a DUI, it just takes time and understanding to get through all of the consequences they face for drunk driving. Remind your friend that while there is a lot to take on after a DUI, that the situation could be a lot worse. Drunk driving fatalities are on the rise, which means we all have to stand together and prevent tragedies from happening before it’s too late.
Remember that friends don’t let friends drive drunk, and that being a friend can sometimes mean standing up and taking over for everyone’s sake. There are worse things than a friend with a DUI, like losing that friend to a night of drinking and the resulting poor judgment.
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