With Thanksgiving behind us and the Christmas season now in full swing, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is kicking off its pre-holiday season drunk driving Christmas DUI Criminal Lawprevention campaign in an effort to remind all motorists that it’s extremely hazardous to operate a vehicle after consuming alcohol. The best way to prevent drunk driving is to choose your role before the alcohol consumption begins. By planning ahead, you could prevent not only the headache and expense associated with a DUI, but an injury causing crash as well.

Unfortunately, many people think that it’s ok to “drive while buzzed” after having only a somewhat small amount of alcohol. In reality, most people don’t truly know their own limits when it comes to drinking. The consumption of alcohol itself many times lessens one’s ability to make a wise decision, so deciding to drive after having just a few drinks is not advisable. Operating a motor vehicle can be extremely dangerous even when at peak performance, so driving with any alcohol in your body is just that much more unsafe.

According to the NHTSA, in 2014 approximately 10,076 lives were lost in drunk driving automobile accidents. That same year, one third of all U.S. motor vehicle fatalities involved intoxicated driving. Holiday get togethers and parties make the winter months especially dangerous. In December of 2013, more than seven hundred thirty people lost their lives in auto and motorcycle crashes involving a drunk driver.

If you still choose to drink responsibly, be aware that if there is alcohol on your breath and/or you admit you’ve been drinking, then chances are you are going to be asked to submit to a field sobriety test. If impairment is suspected by law enforcement, it is almost certain you will be asked to give a breath or blood test. Refuse either of those tests and you are on your way to jail. Submit to the tests and you may make your DUI case very difficult to defend.

Tennessee law does not require the district attorney to prove that you are intoxicated, only that your blood alcohol level is .08 or greater or that your level of intoxication substantially impairs your ability to drive.  Many individuals can perform very well on field sobriety tests even when their blood alcohol level is over .08, meaning that while they may feel fine to drive, getting behind the wheel of their car may be setting them up for a DUI.

If you have been charged with DUI, it’s important you seek the services of an experienced lawyer who has tried criminal law cases. Contact Attorney Donna Wagner to schedule a consultation.