Too Close To Home

Scenario:

It’s New Year’s Eve, the last day of the year, the one day of the year that you can start partying and having a great time in one year and continue it into the next year.  It’s practically time travel.  You are at your friend’s house.  All of your friends are there with you having a great time.  No worries, no cares, life is great.

The night begins to come to an end.  Midnight has come and gone and all around your friends are slowly saying their goodbyes and making their way home.  You have definitely had a few to drink – it was a great time after all – but you only live a few streets away…. Do you really need to bother with a Lyft or Uber when you can literally make it home in 5 minutes? You got this, just need to get home, get into bed, and start the first day of 2019 after you sleep the night off.

So you grab your keys out of your pocket.  Your friend is busy saying goodbye to someone, you see him all the time anyways, no need to interrupt.  You make your way to your car.  You trip on your way, stupid rocks.  You get in your car, turn the key to start, you think to yourself, “only a few blocks, I got this”.

You begin to drive away, turn right at the stop sign to make your way to the main street.  The light goes quick.  You head on out, only a few minutes you got this, you look down at your phone real quick, then it happens… the red and blue lights flash. Those lights that you never want to see at this time of night, not after the fun night you just had.  You make your way to the side of the street.  You put the car in park, you lay your head on the wheel, you didn’t make it home… you messed up… now what?

Think Before You Drink:

This is probably one of the most relatable scenarios for people.  You’re at a party, you’re having a great time, you feel ok to drive, you’ll be fine.  But you’re not.  You may be able to convince yourself that you are, but you’re not.  You may have done this a hundred times before and you were just fine, but you weren’t.  You may think that because you can walk straight, balance on one leg, say the alphabet backwards, all of the above, that you are totally fine, YOU ARE NOT.

Just because you feel like you haven’t had that much to drink, you can totally drive, does not mean that you should.  You may not see them, but law enforcement is there.  Hidden behind the scenes, they are watching – you and me and every single person that gets in that car and hits the road.  That’s their job, to make the roads safe for every single person.  And when you have a drink, then proceed to get into your vehicle and drive, you are now the threat that they are meant to eliminate.

Be safe, know your options – Lyft, Uber, Ride Share, taxis, stay at a friends house, have a friend or family member pick you up – it’s not an inconvenience if it means saving your life or others’ lives.

Now What?

Consequences will follow if you drink and drive.  Possible jail time, definite penalties – alcohol screening/classes, traffic survival school, SR-22 Insurance, Interlock, and not to mention all the time, money and emotions.  Law enforcement has to do their job – to enforce the law.  It’s not their fault that you are in this situation, don’t get mad at them.  These consequences are all a part of a choice you made.

Believe it or not, they actually understand what you are going through.  They understand that you are scared, that your brain is going a million miles an hour trying to focus and figure out what is going to happen now.  Be nice to them, that’s the first step.  Don’t cry, even though you want to, they want to have a rational conversation with you.  Don’t yell, get defensive and begin refusing everything they are asking of you – that’s the last thing they want to deal with.

Know your rights – you don’t have answer questions that will in turn incriminate you.  Instead, politely ask for a lawyer.  You do need to cooperate, give them your ID and insurance.  You don’t have to do a field sobriety test, they aren’t very reliable anyways.  You also don’t have to take a breathalyzer test, though you will lose your license if you refuse.  Remember that this is not their fault.  You made this choice and now it’s time to own up to it and deal with it.

Know that if this above scenario does happen to you, we are here for you.  We will help you and walk you through the whole process – alcohol screening/classes, traffic survival school, SR-22 Insurance, Interlock and Set Aside.

Be aware that these things are what your future will hold if you choose to drink and drive.  There are consequences for all actions.  But know that these consequences can be dealt with, you can face them, fix them, and move forward living a happy and fulfilled life.  Nothing is permanent, and we are here to help you regain the life you deserve to live.

Have a wonderful and SAFE New Year’s Eve and let’s all begin 2019 happy and healthy!