The holidays can be a great time to celebrate with family, catch up with friends, and relax while having a few drinks. However, if you are not careful, you might end up in trouble with the law. Incidents of driving while intoxicated (DWI) tend to increase between Thanksgiving and the New Year. Accordingly, police step up their efforts on the road to catch drunk drivers. If you know that your holiday plans include alcohol, the tips below can help to keep you on the right side of the law.
- Get a designated driver: If you are traveling with friends or family over the holidays, consider designating a driver for the end of the night. Selecting one person to remain sober can help to see that everyone gets home safely. If no one is eager to volunteer, suggest that you will be the designated driver for an upcoming holiday if someone you drive home takes on the responsibility for another night.
- Take a cab or public transportation: If there is no one available to be the designated driver, or no one is headed your way at the end of the night, consider taking a cab home. The popularity of mobile applications like Uber and Lyft has made ride-sharing easier than ever. Additionally, if you want to take public transportation, be aware that most buses will run on alternate schedules during the holidays. Be sure to double-check routes and times before solidifying plans.
- Find a safe place to stay: Before you head over to your friends or families, call ahead and ask if you can spend the night on a couch or a bed. Many people anticipate this as a possibility and know that one or two people are likely to need a place to stay. If that is not a possibility or all available spaces have already been taken, consider renting a room somewhere nearby. At the end of the night, your room will be a short cab ride away.
- Don’t drink and drive: The best way to avoid a DWI (at any time of the year) is not to drive if you have been drinking. The consequences for a DWI in Minnesota are severe and depending on the circumstances, the offense may even be charged as a felony. If the night draws to a close and you are unsure if you’re okay to drive, do not get behind the wheel.
In the event that you are pulled over, it is vital to remember your rights. The police may be looking for any suspicious activity and you should avoid saying more than necessary. While you should comply with basic requests, such as requests to see your license and registration, you may not need to share additional information about your activity that day. You can inform the officer that you are exercising your Fifth Amendment right to remain silent. If you are accused of a crime, get an attorney involved as soon as possible.
Award-Winning Criminal Defense Attorneys
While following the tips above can help to keep you safe, if you find yourself in need of an attorney who can aggressively defend your rights, contact Brockton D. Hunter P.A. Our Minneapolis DWI attorneys possess substantial experience helping clients accused of drunk driving to clear their names. For his outstanding client service and legal ability, our lead attorney has been honored by Super Lawyers® for 6 years straight.
Call (612) 979-1112 or contact us online to learn about your possible defenses from qualified attorneys.