There is never a situation where drinking and driving would be appropriate. When you’ve had just a couple drinks, your judgment and your ability to react are compromised severely, and when every second counts, such as it does while at the wheel of an automobile, this can be extremely hazardous.
When you insist on driving while intoxicated, you’re setting yourself up for an array of consequences. For one thing, your chances of being involved in a crash for which you were responsible increase dramatically. You could be injured or killed, as could your passengers, and pedestrians and persons in other vehicles may also have their lives cut short for doing nothing other than being in the wrong place at the wrong time. You would be responsible for that loss of life.
This sets you on a life-altering course that there’s really no going back from. At a trial, you would likely have to face down the family of those persons whose lives were lost because you had too many drinks. If convicted, you face lengthy jail time. And even if you somehow manage to escape criminal action, you may still find yourself on the receiving end of a personal injury lawsuit. Firms like ours want nothing more than to hold fiscally responsible those whose dangerous actions proved detrimental to clients’ lives.
But let’s say that you manage not to be involved in a wreck and instead you just get pulled over by an entity like the California Highway Patrol. More than just spending a night in jail, this could also have a longterm impact on your life, particularly on your career.
A new report explores the career-oriented consequences of being convicted of a DUI, and while not as serious as the loss of life, they still should be understood by anyone tempted to drive while drunk.
If you’re involved in transportation in some manner, or any job where you’re required to drive, then you may not be able to continue to work due to regulations and an inability to insure you. Even if driving isn’t a part of your job description, your job could still be on the line if your employer has policies preventing the type of behavior you were just convicted of. And your ability to attain future employment may also be hindered if you’re questioned about your previous conviction.
But as we said, this is perhaps nothing compared to the loss of life that can result. The lesson is that drinking and driving is never acceptable. Seek out alternate transportation whenever you plan to imbibe or else always have a designated driver who can get everyone home safely.