Drunk Driving Prevention

It's a fact; drunk driving prevention saves lives. People often fool themselves into thinking they can drive while under the influence, or they convince themselves that someone else's drunk driving is none of their business. Both trains of thought can have disasterous results. If you want tips on ways to prevent drinking and driving, and perhaps save a life, read on.

If you realize you're too impaired to drive, try to stay where you are and sleep it off. If you have to, get in the back seat of your car and take a nap. Do not leave your keys in the ignition under any circumstances or you could still be charged with DUI.

Don't allow someone you know to drive drunk. Confiscate his keys and offer him a ride if you're sober. Call a taxi if you aren't fit to drive.

If you like to drink with friends, take turns being the sober, designated driver for the group.

Drink smart. Limit your alcohol consumption to one drink an hour. This gives your liver time to process the alcohol without becoming overwhelmed. If you time your last drink right, you can allow a couple hours to sober up before driving.

Limit the amount of alcohol you serve at your own parties and collect car keys for safekeeping as everyone arrives. Plan to run out of alcohol early, but have plenty of soft drinks and food on hand to help people sober up before driving home.

Even a single alcoholic beverage consumed with some medications is enough to leave you too impaired too drive.

Steer clear of drinking games. They encourage people to drink too much too quickly. You can wind up getting drunker than you ever intended and make a bad decision to drive.

Put the name and number of a reliable cab company in your wallet before you go out drinking. Make a promise to yourself that you'll call a taxi instead of attempting to drive home on your own if you overindulge. Let your companions know about your backup plan and extend the invitation to them as well.

If someone insists on driving while intoxicated, call the police and give them the driver's license plate number as well as the model of the vehicle and where it was headed. Sometimes doing the right thing is tough, but you could prevent a tragedy.

Recurring drinking and driving issues may indicate an alcohol addiction. To learn more, visit Alcoholism Stages.