When teenagers join college, they’re met with new responsibilities and challenges they’ve likely never faced before. One responsibility that college students have to take on is managing their social life. For many students, engaging in social events may involve alcohol consumption.
It can be tempting for college students with a newly found freedom to get behind the wheel while impaired by alcohol. Drinking and driving is obviously a dangerous decision with potential legal, financial and personal consequences. To reduce the risk of a DUI charge, college students should learn strategies to keep them safe and on the right side of the law.
Planning ahead for transportation
One useful strategy college students can implement to reduce the risk of a DUI charge is to plan their transportation to and from social events in advance. If alcoholic drinks will be served at an event, college students should consider having a designated driver to drive them from the event.
College students can also consider using rideshare services to get to and from the event so they won’t have to get behind the wheel impaired. Public transportation is also a safe and budget-friendly alternative that college students can consider to avoid rubbing shoulders with law enforcement officials at a traffic stop.
Knowing one’s limits
Suppose a college student prefers to drive themselves to and from a social event; they might want to understand how alcohol affects their body. A college student’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) hinges on:
- How much alcohol they consume at the event
- How much they were hydrating between alcoholic drinks
- If they ate before attending the event
- How they’re spacing out their drinks
That said, students should err on the side of caution and not drive if they’re unsure they can control their blood alcohol concentration.
College students who find themselves in DUI trouble should not try to address the situation on their own. With the assistance of their parents, they can get reliable legal support to help try and shield them from a DUI conviction.