Happy 4th of July

Happy 4^th of July!  (Que sparklers). As we all know, this week we are celebrating the 4^th of July. That means BBQ’s, pool, drinking, and fireworks! But do you know what is actually being celebrated? A majority of the population does, but just in case…. this holiday celebrates our country’s independence from England.  Our freedom was fought for and won and now we can drink tea without high tax, and we can speak our mind without dire consequences.

With freedom, though, comes great responsibility, and with responsibility comes choices, and as we all know, choices can have consequences too.  What do I mean by that? What does freedom have to do with DUI’s? I mean, I should be talking about devastating statistics and telling everyone not to drink. Oh, don’t you worry, I was just getting to that!

Freedom, you heard me say? I did, and did you know that when you get your drivers license you are essentially signing a contract stating that you will not drink and drive? This is called the Implied Consent Law.  Driving is a privilege and a not a freedom, if you get behind that wheel after drinking you are making a choice. And guess what? You got it! You have just made a choice to violate your freedom of driving. Whoops.

Like I said, this holiday is all about freedom. While you should take advantage of every freedom you have been given, every day of the year, this particular week should bring to mind these freedoms that you do have. It is a week of celebrating independence, after all.

Here’s a statistic for you (since I did promise one) – about 40% of all highway deaths are caused by drunk driving over the Fourth of July weekend! There are roughly 200 traffic deaths over the four-ish days of the holiday across the country.  This is not a fun statistic to be a part of. You don’t want to be the one who contributes to this scary percentage.

OUCH.

We should be basking in our freedom; shouting it from the roof top – just don’t jump off into a pool, that never works. Our freedom to drive is a big one. It’s not just anyone who is given a license to drive. I don’t know about you, but I studied for weeks to get my license and even then, I had to take it twice.

They make it challenging for a reason. They don’t want just anyone on the road. Really, you should feel honored and proud when you are driving on that concrete ribbon of freedom. So, don’t get it taken away!

Did you know that if you do get a DUI your drivers license will be suspended, taken away, for 90 days or even up to a year? That is your freedom being snatched right out of your hand.

Don’t do it! Don’t drink and drive. Don’t violate your freedom to drive. This is a holiday of celebration. Celebrate responsibly.

Don’t spend the next however many months, years, giving up your time to go to counseling, take traffic survival classes, going to meetings, driving around with an interlock device and having to pay a bunch of money for an SR-22 insurance. These are all things that you will have to do if you drink and drive.

That sure doesn’t ring out freedom to me. No, those bells aren’t ringing out for this one.

So be safe this weekend. Make a plan ahead of time. Lyft, rideshare, designate a driver, just don’t drink and drive. We have a Lyft code, just for you! New Lyft users please enter NODUI or exsisting Lyft users please enter NODUI10.

If you do get a DUI, or you know someone who has, we can help you. DPX DUI Process Experts is a free service to help you navigate through the confusing and scary DUI process. We know that having a freedom, like driving, taken away can be disheartening and difficult. We want to help you get back that freedom and get back on the road. Give us a call today at 602-441-9444 and visit our website at www.duiprocessexperts.com.

Be safe out there and have a great Fourth of July!