Simple Tips to Prevent a DUI

Know thyself and plan ahead. How far do you live from the place you are going to enjoy yourself or to just have a "few" drinks? Plan to leave your car at home or in a secure parking place where you can leave it overnight and pick it up in the morning. Check out what kind of public transportation is available especially taxi cabs and how late they run. Taxi cabs would be the better choice simply because they can pick you up from your location, and drop you off right in front of your front door so if you need to crawl somewhere, the only distance you'd have to worry about is from the cab to your front door (or all the way up to your appartment if such is the case) but it's better than risking getting mugged on the subway or at a bus stop or metro station.

You could be invited to place or a party where you expect to be bored to death and then something happens to liven it up. It may be that you meet someone interesting and engage in a conversation that has you so absorbed that the drinks keep coming and you don't even realize how much you are drinking, or that people start dancing or joking or there are other interesting stories that make you want to stay a little longer.

For hosts:

Don't be condescending or paternalistic when addressing someone you noticed has been drinking too much and who you feel should not get behind the wheel. It'll probably just make the person irritated and insist on doing things their way. Speak to them as if you are offering suggestions: "Hey, I can drop you off if you like; you seem a little too tired to drive."

Many people become bolder after having had a few drinks and others will take up challenges or what they perceive to be challenges in a second. Being paternalistic or acting superior in some way will most likely be perceived as challenging their adulthood and/or their ability to make their own decisions (ie get behind the wheel and drive) - as a result: DUI. How many of us (who do drink) have worked up enough courage in seconds and dared to walk up and actually talk to that cute guy or that cute gal after a few drinks when a few minutes prior to the drinks, we were frozen just at the thought of even standing next to the person let alone say hello and talk to him/her?

That same boldness can happen when assessing other abilities such as being able to get behind the wheel.

For both hosts and guests

Who in the world ever decided that slumber parties were just for kids? If you are a group of friends who know each other well, why not just ask guests to bring over their sleeping bags and turn your evening into a fun sleepover? If you are planning to have booze at the party, don't just assume that everyone will stick to just a few sips and hang around. Some will have already begun hitting the sauce before arriving.

In other cases in other settings, plan for a place where guests can lie down and go to sleep without feeling embarrassed the next morning. It can save a lot of lives.

Very simple but practical no?