Oh, the weather outside is frightful, and since we’ve no place to go… let’s all make a pledge to drive sober this holiday season and for all the days that follow. Celebrating with friends and family is one of the perks of this time of the year when everyone seems to be in a more giving mood. Just remember that as fun and fantastic as the holidays are, there is nothing fabulous about drunk driving.
A few reminders for a DUI-free 2017 Christmas season:
- Christmas falls on a three-day weekend, so there is much more time to celebrate. Plus, once you sober up from Christmas, there’s New Years… so why even bother being sober that entire week? To be safe, and healthy, and to end the year on a high note… not trying to sell your presents for bail money.
- You don’t want a Christmas DUI. You don’t want a New Year DUI. You really don’t want any kind of DUI or the consequences that follow, like an ignition interlock requirement, jail time, community service, or a criminal conviction on your record. Bah Humbug.
- Being a designated driver is the ultimate holiday gift. You can be your friends’ safe ride home before leaving for the night. What better way to show you care than to escort your intoxicated friends to their homes where the can sleep it off before Santa’s arrival!
The holiday season is notorious for the number of drunk drivers on the roads, no matter where you live or what time you are driving around. We wish nothing more than for everyone to have a safe and happy holiday season, which only requires that we all do our part to keep ourselves and each other safe. A DUI and ignition interlock device is no fun at any point in the year, so make sure you are safe and commit to remain so, allowing the holiday spirit to live on while keeping those holiday spirits in check.
As everyone across the country prepares for various holiday celebrations, we often don’t think about things like Holiday weekend DUI prevention. We’re more concerned with which parties we’re invited to, which dishes we’re bringing to the family Christmas, and if we remembered gifts for everyone on our list. We need to remember that, while we can never have too much spirit of the season, we can have too many of the season’s spirits.
For years, the myth that coffee will sober you up has persisted. This is a dangerous myth because what coffee actually does is add a stimulant to a depressant, creating a false sense of security in our abilities. As caffeine reduces the sedative effects of alcohol, we begin to feel less drunk than we actually are. In essence, coffee wakes us up just enough to be dangerous, possibly ending with a DUI story we probably wish we could forget.
Many states have increased penalties if you are guilty of what they consider an aggravated drunk driving offense, which is when your blood alcohol content is over .15%, if you have additional crimes that occurred during the incident like child endangerment, or if serious injury or death occurred as a result of drunk driving. The state of Iowa does not have a designated Iowa aggravated OWI. However, its laws do state that if your BAC is .15% or above, you are no longer eligible for a deferment of your sentence on a first offense.
Like most states, Oklahoma has different levels of DUI charges. There’s zero tolerance for the under 21 set, a standard DUI charge for those with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 percent or more, and, if you’re BAC is over .15 percent, you can be charged with an Oklahoma aggravated DUI. If your DUI is categorized as aggravated, then you will receive the standard DUI penalties plus extra punishments as laid out by the law.
Our nation’s capital has a reputation that we should all be concerned about. For once, this reputation has little to do with politics (except, perhaps the gut reaction to reading the latest Tweetstorm or head-of-state headlines). It seems that on top of the government’s risky behaviors, DC has a drinking problem, too. Like the worst in the U.S… even more than Iowa, Florida, or Wisconsin.
Today is s big day for any Star Wars fan, with celebrations planned across the world to usher in the newest episode in this timeless space saga. We are such big fans of Star Wars because we know that good always triumphs over evil… even if it takes a few decades to drive that point home. Speaking of driving, back in the day before there were more movies than we could count on one hand, a Star Wars DUI public service announcement had a timeless warning: when celebrating the latest release at the cantina, be sure you find a safe ride home.
Daylight makes things pretty obvious, even to the most inexperienced of drunk driving sleuths. We can usually tell that the driver swerving across the lanes ahead of us, or straddling the white line for the last mile, has probably had a few too many brunch mimosas or lunch break lagers. At night, it can be a little more difficult to spot the DUI driver, until we are right in their line of fire. The old adage about it being five o’clock somewhere may prevent more of the daytime DUI problems than we know, but it certainly does not stop a person from drinking and driving once the sun goes down.
During this festive season, we all tend to get a little less serious, and a little more open to drinking alcohol. There are holiday parties, Hanukkah gatherings, and the New Year’s festivities ahead. This time of the year is no excuse for forgetting our common sense when it comes to drinking and driving. In fact, as we gather together with friends and loved ones, perhaps this is the best time to commit to an even safer celebration. Let’s all drive sober this Hanukkah.