July 3, 2019—GEICO urges drivers to keep it in park and stay off the road if they plan to attend a July 4 celebration and consume alcoholic beverages.
Drivers should work on making alternate plans for transportation that could include:
- Using a rideshare app: If you’re new to the rideshare game, plan to have your app downloaded and set up ahead of time so all you need to do is order a ride to your desired destination.
- Taking public transportation: Mass transit is a very sensible option to prevent impaired driving; however, riders should check service schedules in case availability changes around the holiday.
- Declaring yourself or another group member a designated driver: Helping as a designated driver means no drinks; not a few less drinks. Passengers should always listen to the designated driver and refrain from doing anything that interferes with his/or her ability to maneuver the vehicle.
On holidays and holiday weekends, many local jurisdictions set up DUI checkpoints as an additional measure to remove drunk drivers from the road. If a driver is cited for driving under the influence at a checkpoint or routine traffic stop, s/he can often face a bumpy road ahead with some expensive costs involved.
The DUI fine itself may only run a few hundred dollars; however, drivers could have to pay fees well into the future such as surcharges on their car insurance premiums or a monthly payment for monitoring services on an ignition interlock device. A charged driver may also have to hire an attorney, and will have to pay court costs. After accounting for these types of additional fees, the price tag on a DUI can climb to more than $10,000 according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).