If you plan on going out with family and friends on New Year’s Eve, it may be wise to get a designated driver. This is a holiday that often involves a greater level of drinking than you would see on a normal night, and there’s nothing wrong with that type of celebration. The problem is that you may get arrested if you try to drive home afterward. The police are well aware that DUI arrests often go up on this night, and they will be out in force.
If you do get arrested and convicted of a DUI, it could lead to as much as $1,000 in fines. You could face up to a year behind bars. You could get 12 points on your license, and it’s going to be suspended in the wake of that initial arrest. These are very serious ramifications.
The related costs of a DUI
Additionally, you could face a lot of related costs. For instance, if you lose your license or spend time in jail and you can’t go to work, you could lose your job. If you do lose your job, then you’re losing hundreds or thousands of dollars in wages as you look for a new one.
In some professions, it can be nearly impossible to get a job after a DUI. If you need to drive for a living, for example, then having a drunk driving arrest on your record can be a black mark that makes it difficult to land a job without changing careers entirely. If that new career doesn’t pay as much as the old one, then you are perpetually losing money even as you work.
You can see how expensive it may be if you decide not to get a designated driver on New Year’s Eve. As such, it’s very important to understand all of your defense options when facing DUI charges so that it does not negatively impact your future.