If you are like many Colorado residents, you probably have multiple holiday parties and events to keep you busy this month from office outings to ugly sweater soirees. And maybe you are even throwing holiday festivity of your own.
However, one way your holiday merriment can come to a screeching halt is if you are charged with drunk driving. These charges can not only be expensive and burdensome, they have the potential of negatively affecting your life for years to come.
Over the holiday season, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) will be running its final segments of “The Heat Is On” campaign, which targets intoxicated drivers, so Colorado residents should avoid driving drunk at all costs.
Here are some tips from CDOT to consider before the holiday partying gets underway:
For attending parties:
- Plan a sober ride in advance.
- Get dropped off at the party so you are less likely to drive after drinking.
- Decide to be the sober driver.
For office parties:
- Provide free rides to employees.
- Make sure no one is over-served.
- Close the bar prior to the night’s end.
For hosting parties:
- Serve food that is high in protein and provide non-alcoholic drinks.
- Arrange sober rides home for guests or allow guests to stay over.
- Don’t serve alcohol to underage guests.
If you do find yourself in trouble with the law over the holiday season, make sure to speak with an experienced criminal defense lawyer before deciding to plead guilty. You may be able to successfully defend yourself and avoid the many negative consequences that result from a conviction.