Every year, millions of people throughout the United States celebrate the holiday season by eating, drinking, and being joyful. However, these festive months are also associated with a high volume of drunk driving fatalities.

Starting from Thanksgiving Eve (also known as “Black Wednesday”) and ended on New Year’s Day, police officers will be safeguarding the streets in large numbers and setting up DUI checkpoints to arrest intoxicated motorists. If you want your holiday season to be a merry one, it is crucial to take proactive steps to avoid putting yourself in that situation and getting charged with a crime.

The following are several tips to avoid a holiday DUI this year:

1. Do not drink and drive - Although it sounds obvious, many people continue to put their lives in danger despite understanding the ramifications of their actions. But not only does drunk driving result in a DUI arrest, but also potentially an accident, injury, or even death.
2. Have someone pick you up - Whether or not you drove to the event or venue, if you have been drinking for an extended period of time, get a sober person to pick you up from your location. Even if you’ve taken precautions by waiting for an hour after you’ve stopped drinking, or consumed food or water in between drinks, it only takes a .08 to get arrested.
3. Use a rideshare service or take public transportation - If no one can pick you up and all of the people you are with are in the same state as you are, you can request a ride from Uber or Lyft to take you home. If you want to stay on the frugal side, public transportation such as buses or trains is available at little to no cost.
4. Find a place to sleep - If you’re far away from home, either book a room at a nearby hotel or stay with a friend to avoid the roads. You and your friend can sleep well, not having to worry about how you will get home.
5. Host the gathering at your place - To avoid going out altogether, host the party or family gathering at your home. Make sure all your guests either get home safe or have them sleep over.
6. Obey the traffic laws - While we do not recommend this, if you do decide to drive, all a police officer needs is reasonable suspicion to pull you over. So follow all of the rules of the road. Additionally, check the internet or your local newspaper for any DUI checkpoints before driving.
7. Do not sleep in your car - Although it may seem like a good idea, “sleeping it off” can also result in a DUI. If you sleep in the driver’s seat with the engine running and the heater turned on to provide warmth, an officer could view this as an attempt to operate the vehicle, leading to arrest.

If you have been arrested for a DUI over the holidays in Nevada, our Reno criminal defense attorney at the Law Office of Kenneth A. Stover will do our best to help you obtain a positive outcome. We can guide you through the complexities of the criminal justice system and aggressively protect your rights, reputation, and future.

Contact us and schedule a confidential consultation today.