There is been a lot of talk in the news and media about DUIs as of late mostly due to celebrities who drink while under the influence of alcohol and drugs.  However the celebrities usually get by with a warning or get off with a light sentence or 30 days of probation.  The common person who is caught and charged with a DUI needs to be represented by a Tampa DUI attorney because they are not so lucky and could face jail time in addition to exorbitant fees and points on their license which in turn will cost them more money in insurance premiums.

In nearly every town there is always talk of a designated driver service in which a good Samaritan will stay up all night long on the weekends to drive people home from various local bars and taverns with their own vehicle because they had once been charged with the DUI or perhaps even worse, injured someone in a drunk driving accident.  This is their way of giving back to the community and helping others.

Talk of a designated driver is always prevalent around the holidays when more drinking and driving occurs then any other time of the year.  However according to MADD – Mothers Against Drunk Drivers, designated drivers are human and could easily be persuaded into drinking or thinking they are not drunk still get behind the wheel of a car.

Also in the news is the fact that many states have taken initiative against drunk driving with an interlock system installed in repeat drunk driving offender’s cars.  The interlock system has the person sitting behind the wheel blow into a tube, which works like a Breathalyzer tests, and if the results are positive for alcohol the engine will not start. 

A Tampa personal injury attorney who endorses the interlock system can help more potential clients save their drivers license by having their clients agreed to having one of the systems installed on their vehicle even after a first offense.

Driving while under the influence of drugs are an entirely different matter altogether and there is nothing like the interlock system to test for drugs, even prescription drugs like human growth hormones or antidepressants can have an adverse effect on someone’s driving.

Something a criminal defense attorney could use to help deter repeat DUI offenders is a drunk driver’s simulator on their website in which sober individuals taking drivers test that simulates being under the influence of alcohol and drugs.  This shows an individual the harmful effects out: drugs can have on one’s driving without them actually getting behind the wheel of a car.  Many high schools sponsor this type of driver simulator in ones that still teach drivers education.

It may be easy to say “I’ll just take someone’s keys away from them” in order to prevent drunk driving or “I’ll remain a sober one for the evening” but the fact of the matter is it’s difficult for an individual to take on such responsibilities especially if they want to have fun the rest of their friends.  An item such as the interlock system takes the responsibility off an outsider and puts it back on the individual who has been drinking.