A DUI charge can result in fines, loss of license, or even jail time. While you can take certain steps to avoid drinking and driving in the first place, it is also important to know how you can minimize the long-term damage if you do make a mistake. Hiring the right DUI lawyer is a good start, and keeping the tips here in mind can also help. If you stay calm and approach the problem properly, you can avoid fines and jail sentences that would otherwise completely derail your life.
Knowing the Limit
The first thing you need to do when trying to avoid a DUI charge is to make sure that you don’t get caught driving over 80 in the first place. You can accomplish this by knowing how much it takes to put you over the legal limit of 80 mg of alcohol in 100 mL of blood. Usually, this amounts to two to three drinks, although heavy-set men might be able to go four or even five drinks before reaching that threshold. Remember that eating, drinking, and taking time to let the alcohol go through your system can all decrease the amount of alcohol in your blood. Doing all of these things can help keep you safe behind the wheel and ensure that you don’t go over 80 in the first place.
Dealing with the Police
When you get pulled over for driving over 80, you need to keep in mind that your behavior at this point may affect the overall course of your impaired driving case. You should remain cooperative with police officers but avoid volunteering potentially incriminating information about yourself. Answer the questions asked, but don’t go beyond the scope of those questions. You should also make sure that you create an account of your dealings with the police that your lawyer can review later on. This can help the lawyer determine whether any procedural errors might aid your case and to note whether your account differs from the police report.
Hiring a Lawyer
Once the initial traffic stop is taken care of and the charges have been filed, it is time to reach out to a DUI lawyer who can help you navigate through the legal process. When looking for a lawyer, you need to find somebody with experience in your area. For example, if you live in Ontario then you need to find somebody who has practiced in the courts of Ontario before. The more experience, the better, as long as that experience has a reasonable track record for success as well. When in doubt, look for reviews on the lawyer from former clients. If you can find a lot of happy clients, then you can probably trust that these lawyers know how to get things done.
Getting a DUI charge is an unfortunate matter and one that can make you feel like you are completely out of control of your life. Luckily, a good lawyer can see you through these troubles and get your life back on track as soon as possible.