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Be prepared for the festivities this holiday season

On Behalf of | Nov 10, 2017 | Blog

The Christmas season is full of parties and other events, many of which have alcoholic beverages offered. When you are heading out to party with your friends, you need to make sure that there is a designated driver in place who will see to it that everyone makes it home safely.

When you do go out this holiday season, avoid the temptation to drive home drunk. There is a good chance that a law enforcement officer will see that you are showing signs of impairment and pull you over.

Laws against drunk driving

Drunk driving is illegal in South Carolina. Drivers who can legally drink have a blood alcohol concentration limit of .08 percent. The limit is only .02 percent for drivers who aren’t at least 21 years old. These drunk driving laws set strict penalties for people who are convicted of these charges, so it is never a good idea to think that you can get away with driving drunk.

Purpose behind drunk driving laws

Last year, one person died in a drunk driving crash every 50 minutes on average. That equates to nearly 29 fatalities per day. Each of these fatalities could have been prevented if the driver had only decided to find another way home after a night out with friends.

Impacts of alcohol

Many people don’t realize that even small amounts of alcohol can have an impact on their ability to drive. At .02 percent, you’re already starting to experience loss of judgment. Reduced coordination and some loss of small muscle control can start at only .05 percent. By .08 percent, drivers usually experience the loss of some information processing abilities. The impacts become more pronounced with more alcohol in the system. These are some of the reasons why it is best to avoid driving if you’ve had even a few drinks.

Stay safe over the holiday season

If possible, drivers should try to avoid being on the road from midnight through 3:00 in the morning. This is the time when there is a greater chance of being involved in a crash that has intoxication as a contributing factor. Coincidentally, these hours are also those in which law enforcement officers might have an increased presence to watch for drunk drivers.

For drivers who face drunk driving charges, working on a defense is a priority. Your options vary greatly and are dependent upon the circumstances of the incident.