The holidays are a time for family, friends, and celebration. However, the celebration is over if you are caught drinking and driving. Therefore, to ensure that you don't ruin your holidays, you should elect a designated driver or simply stay where you are at until you are sober. Otherwise you could very easily be charged with an Orlando DUI. Some of the legal penalties associated with a DUI charge in Florida are:
? Fines
? Community Service
? Probation
? Loss of License
? Higher Insurance Due to Increased Risk
? Jail Time
These penalties are only the legal ramifications of your actions. If you receive a Florida DUI, you will also have to face the personal consequences that affect you, your family, and your friends. You may be ostracized because of your conviction, or perhaps your family and friends will not be as supportive or sympathetic as you may like. Another thing to consider: If you lose your license because of a DUI charge, will it affect your family or your career? Many traffic citations are obvious mistakes, however getting an Orlando DUI is one of the most easily avoidable traffic violations.
Florida DUI charges: what are my options?
If you are charged with an Orlando DUI, you don't necessarily have to plead guilty, pay the fines or take any of the penalties you are charged with without a fight. You are entitled, as with any traffic violation, to hire a lawyer and try to overturn the charges against you. The success rate of this option, however, is completely variable and circumstantial, so unless you know you are being wronged or can afford a top lawyer, it might be best to just accept your punishment as it is handed down to you.
How can I not get a Florida DUI?
Many people may wonder how they can avoid getting a DUI during the holidays. With all of the gatherings, holiday parties, and family fun, there is surely going to be at least a bit of alcohol involved. So how do you avoid a Florida DUI? It's really a simple solution: If you drink, don't drive. There are consequences that you may not like, so don't take any chances. Additionally, beyond the legal penalties associated with drinking and driving over the holidays, there are other outcomes that may not immediately come to mind.
More serious than a DUI charge
In the grand scheme of things, getting a Florida DUI will most likely be the least of your worries if you drink and drive. For starters, you could get in an accident, and get hurt. Drinking and driving can make you cause an accident, even if you aren't directly involved in it. Ultimately, drinking and driving could even kill you or an innocent victim. Do you really want to take that risk?
Drinking and driving is one of the biggest problems across the country today, leaving some states to come up with new ways to attempt to stop people from driving drunk. Recently, for example, the state of Ohio decided that all DUI offenders have to display special yellow license plates with red numerals and letters upon conviction, until their driving privileges are fully restored. It may sound silly, but perhaps public humiliation is what it takes to convince people that it's not a good idea to drink and drive.
Just don't do it
Florida doesn't have any laws of the public humiliation variety in effect yet, but that doesn't mean drinking and driving is any more legal or better of an idea in Florida than it is in Ohio. It's still against the law, and a bad judgment call. It's never a good idea to operate a motor vehicle in any sort of impaired state, but it is especially important to keep this in mind during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. So have a happy holiday, and unless you want a Florida DUI, don't drive if you've been drinking, because the cops will be out looking for DUI offenders this season.