drinking and driving – Traffic School Online

There are a variety of situations that might leave you wondering what to do when it comes to being around drunk people. We’re here to give you some advice on a few of the most common drunk driving situations you might come across. It’s important to know how to deal with a potential drunk driving situation to help everyone stay safe on the road.

My Friend Doesn’t Think He’s Drunk

You’re at a party and your friend has had a little too much to drink. He insists he’s fine and capable of driving home. He jumps into his car and is about to drive off.

We can’t stress this enough. Do whatever you can to make sure your friend doesn’t get behind the wheel. Try every angle to take his keys away. Use humor. Be serious. Confuse him. Distract him. Remind him that drunk driving not only puts his life in jeopardy but also the lives of everyone else on the road. In his hands, that key is a weapon. When you’re impaired, you’re incapable of making smart decisions.

Offer him a safe drive home yourself. If you don’t have a car, offer to drive his. If you are unable to drive, call a taxi.

Intoxicated people can become angry. If your friend is insistent on getting behind the wheel, call the police. Doing so might prevent a serious accident on the road. Remember, you are not calling the cops on your friend. You are calling the cops on a dangerous situation and encouraging driver safety. If he drives drunk, he might end up dead.

I think I Witnessed Drunk Driving

You’re out for your evening jog with your dog. It’s typically quiet in your neighborhood. The only noise you hear is your dog panting. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a car speeds toward you, driving erratically. He’s speeding up, slowing down, swerving, going through stop signs, and violating virtually every traffic law.

It appears that the driver is drunk. Unfortunately, you’re not 100% sure. Maybe it’s just a new driver who is still learning. Maybe it’s a new car owner just getting used to driving a manual transmission vehicle.

Either way, the right thing to do is to call the police and inform them of the odd behavior. If you were able to catch the license plate number, that helps. However, any description including the direction in which the car is traveling will be of assistance. The police will be able to determine why this driver is driving unsafely and stop them in their tracks.

Do Whatever It Takes

Making sure that we all stay safe on the road is everyone’s responsibility. If you witness an intoxicated driver attempting to drive a vehicle or already out on the road, you need to help stop them. Not only are they violating the law, but they’re also driving unsafely and endangering people’s lives.

Every year in this country, thousands of people die in alcohol-related driving accidents and hundreds of thousands are injured. If we can help bring that number down by stopping a drunk driver, everybody wins.

Police departments are cracking down more than ever on drinking and driving. As a result, DUI task forces have received increased funding. This provides manpower and resources dedicated to catching drunk drivers. Another common method used to cut back on DUIs is that of setting up a DUI checkpoint. Whether you’ve been drinking or not, it’s important to know how to behave at a DUI checkpoint.

What is a DUI Checkpoint?

If you’re a new driver, you may not be familiar with DUI checkpoints. These are areas where police have set up a road barricade. Each driver in a DUI checkpoint is stopped and checked for signs of intoxication. Some of the signs are bloodshot eyes, the odor of alcohol, and empty containers visible in the car.

If there is probable cause to believe that a driver is intoxicated, he or she will get detained. They will be asked to pull to the side of the road for further examination. All other drivers will be waived through the checkpoint and able to continue with their drive.

DO Have Documentation Ready

If you come to a DUI checkpoint, don’t turn around. Not only will this look suspicious, but it may be illegal if you pull a U-turn to do so. Instead, get your documentation ready (driver’s license, insurance, registration, etc.). This way, if the officer asks for it, he or she doesn’t get the opportunity to make the case that you were “fumbling” for your documentation. You should also roll your window down a reasonable amount to speak with the officer as you approach the checkpoint.

DON’T Volunteer Any Information

Regardless of whether you’ve had a couple of beers or haven’t touched a drop of alcohol all day, remember that you only need to provide the officer with basic information that he or she asks about. This may include:

whether you’ve had anything to drink
where you’re heading/where you came from

Don’t go out of your way to volunteer information that could get used against you later on.

DO Have Some Patience

Understand that the purpose of a DUI checkpoint is to keep the roads safer for you and other drivers. As such, you should try to be patient and understanding if you come across one. As long as you haven’t had too much to drink, you should be through the checkpoint and on your way in a matter of minutes. In the meantime, be considerate and polite to the officers you come into contact with.

DON’T Refuse a Breath Test

If you’re asked to do a breath test, understand that it’s in your best interest to comply. All too often, people refuse the breath test when they’ve had too much to drink. They assume that they cannot get arrested if there isn’t breath-test proof.

This is just not true. If you refuse a breath test, not only could you get charged with refusal, but you’ll likely get detained and brought into the police station for a blood test instead. This can be a long and drawn-out process that will only delay the inevitable and make things worse for you if you’re over the limit.

All in all, a DUI checkpoint is nothing to worry about, assuming that you’re driving sober. DUI checkpoints can make the roads safer for everyone. Be sure to keep these important dos and don’ts in mind if you encounter a checkpoint while driving.

Whether you’re of legal drinking age or not, you may get asked to be a designated driver (DD). A designated driver is the person responsible for driving inebriated individuals. A designated driver will provide safe transportation to and from an event. This way you won’t need to worry about an alcohol-related accident or getting a DUI. But if you’ve never been a DD before, you may need some pointers on how to be a designated driver.

Benefits of Being the DD

First of all, if you’re hesitant about being a designated driver, think again! There are plenty of benefits to being the DD. For starters, you’ll enjoy waking up without a hangover. You’ll also get plenty of free entertainment by being the only sober person in the group.

And, if you’re of legal drinking age, you just might be able to get a friend to return the favor the next time you go out. Still, there are some tips you’ll want to keep in mind as you prepare for your first DD experience.

Learn to Say “No,” Even to One Drink

First, don’t give in to peer pressure to drink alcohol when you’re a DD… Ever. If you’re going to a large party or event, expect people to ask you why you’re not drinking or offer to buy you drinks. Too often, one drink turns into a second drink, which turns into yet another drink. And before you know it, you’re too drunk to drive everybody home. Not a good situation.

To avoid pressure to drink alcohol, consider ordering virgin cocktails. If it appears to others that you’re drinking, they’ll be less likely to try and force alcohol on you.

Set Some Ground Rules

Before you leave, have a conversation with your friends about your expectations. Set some ground rules. Specify a time to leave, along with a place to meet. This should avoid the hassle of convincing people that it’s time to go or trying to find lost friends.

Be on the Lookout for Open Containers

When it comes time to drive everybody home, make sure nobody is bringing any open containers. All it takes is one open container in your car for you to get a traffic ticket if you’re pulled over by a police officer. Any open alcohol containers will need to be either thrown out or secured in the trunk of your vehicle.

Know When to Book a Cab Instead

Last but not least, know when it’s in your best interest to hire a cab for the night instead. There are situations where you may not be comfortable being a designated driver. You may want to enjoy a few drinks–such as during a holiday party. If everybody in your group goes in a cab, the fare per person shouldn’t be expensive. Plus, you’ll save your driving record, and potentially lives as well!

These are just a few guidelines to keep in mind as you prepare for your first DD experience. By following these tips, you can be sure everybody has a good time and gets home safely.

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How many drinks does it take to get to a blood alcohol level of .08%, the national legal limit for driving? What if, as the National Transportation Safety Board recommends, states lower the legal driving limit to .05%? And how dangerous is driving with a BAC of .08% compared to being tired, on sleep medication, or driving distracted?

Check out this informational video, created by the Serenity Insurance Group, for answers!

We’re glad this video brought up the NTSB recommendation to lower the legal driving limit, which has proven to be controversial even among groups focused on the same goal of reducing drunk driving related crashes.

As shown in the video, it’s estimated that lowering the legal driving limit to .05% could save up to 800 lives per year. Many European nations saw alcohol-related fatalities drop by half within 10 years of lowering the standard. But took 20 years after the NTSB recommended a blood alcohol limit of .08% in 1982 for every state to adopt it. The leaders of Mothers Against Drunk Driving are concerned that another prolonged campaign to lower the legal limit even further will detract attention from other measures, such as high visibility enforcement and ignition interlock requirements, which may be more effective.

Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx has said that individual states should be responsible for taking the lead and implementing the changes if they see fit. So far, only Washington, South Carolina, and New York have considered legislation to lower the limit.

◉ Dealing With Intoxicated Drivers

Tag: drinking and driving