Make It a Safe Holiday Season

It’s that time of year again! Holiday parties and the New Year are here and that means alcohol and drinking (for many people anyways). The St. Lawrence County (New York) Stop DWI and Traffic Safety Program has shared some tips to make this holiday season safe if you’re hosting a party:

• Control access to alcohol you serve. Avoid kegs or punch bowls.
• Provide food for guests.
• Stop serving alcohol at least one hour before the party ends.
• Plan ahead to provide alternate transportation for your guests if they’ve had too much to drink.

If you are a guest at someone’s holiday party, I also recommend having the phone number for a taxi cab company handy if you don’t have a designated driver.  Also, do keep in mind that there are programs here in San Diego like Safe Ride Solutions that can help you get home safely.

Of course, the best way to prevent drunk driving this holiday season is not to drink at all!  However, if by chance you are arrested for a DUI in San Diego, contact an experienced drunk driving defense lawyer to help you with your case.

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Photo Credit:  JAGwired

Teen Drunk Driving: Statistics and Tips

Is teen drunk driving a big issue? As much as we’d like to think our teenagers are innocent and can cause no harm, the truth is, many young people don’t really think about the consequences of their actions. Although teen drivers represent a small percentage of total drivers in the United States, teenagers cause a huge portion of accidents on the roadways.

Here are some statistics to consider:

• According to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 23% of teenage drivers in fatal car accidents had a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit of .08.
• Another report put out by the NHTSA showed that 50% of high school students polled admitted to driving after drinking
• According to SADD, about three-fourths of high school students drink alcohol illegally despite the knowledge of the dangers of drunk driving.

Talk to Your Teen About Drunk Driving

Talking to your teen about drunk driving isn’t something that shouldn’t be avoided because it’s a serious and tough issue to discuss or that you think they won’t listen to you. Talk to them as early as possible, way before they even get behind the wheel. The more you talk to them about it, the more likely that they’ll process and remember the information. They’ll know how much it means to you that they stay sober when they drive.

Set A Good Example

Teens learn from their parents and the role models in their life, so if you set a good example and don’t drink and drive, they’ll be more conscious about doing the same.

Teen drunk driving can be avoided if more people showed concern for their teens and had open channels of communication with them. Most of the time parents have this dominant, “Do what I say because I said so!” attitude that makes teens just want to rebel even more. Show them the same level of respect that you expect from them and they’ll be more inclined to listen to what you have to say.

If you’ve been arrested for your first DUI in San Diego, make sure to hire an experienced San Diego DUI lawyer to help you with your case.