Summer Time Fun vs. DUI’s

Summer is in full swing in Raleigh and that means it’s time to gather with friends and family around a fire and a grill. There is nothing better than grilling up some meat and cracking open a cool drink. It’s hot outside and hotter when standing over the fire and preparing summertime favorites. Through all the fun and eating you may find yourself losing count of just how many drinks you may be enjoying.

After a couple hours you can quickly consume much more alcohol than you thought. When it’s time to leave the barbecue and head home your blood alcohol level may be higher than you were expecting and higher than the legal limit which is .08, if you choose to drive. If you weigh around 180-200 that is only around 4 beers. Open that 5th beer and you may be over the legal limit. You may not feel drunk or even be driving erratically but if you are pulled over for any reason the police have the option of requesting you take a breathalyzer. Now that accidental rolling through a stop sign ticket just turned into a DUI.

The penalties in North Carolina for driving under the influence are severe, even for a first-time offense. You can expect fines, jail time and/or probation, license suspension and more. The cost of DUI is a large one even when taking everything else out of consideration. Some costs that people don’t consider are: the court mandated ignition lock is $170 to install plus you need to have it serviced every two months for an additional fee, lost wages when you need to be in court or treatment or traffic school, an average of $260 to the DMV when you try and get your license back and finally expect to see a pretty hefty increase in your insurance premiums. DUI’s are not cheap propositions.

The best advice is to not drink and drive. However, everyone makes mistakes and if you find yourself in this situation, don’t go at it alone. Contact the Beaver Law Firm for an experienced attorney that knows the process and can help you navigate through it with the least amount of hassle possible. Call us today to make an appointment (919) 578-8551 or visit us online to learn learn more at The Beaver Law Firm!