4th of July DUI Paradox: Independence or Interlock?

There is a striking paradox to a Fourth of July DUI. We celebrate the holiday, reflecting on the struggles our country has gone through to become what it is today – an example of freedom, independence, and autonomy. So, when we drink on the holiday, why would we put ourselves into a Fourth of July DUI situation that will ultimately clip our wings and remove our chances at personal independence for the foreseeable future? In that light, even an ignition interlock device is the least of our worries.

Because alcohol impairs our judgment. Impaired judgment leads to bad decisions. Bad decisions often lead to jail, especially those that begin when we start our cars to drive our impaired selves home.

Instead of falling into the Fourth of July DUI paradox, we’ve got a few ideas for you to use to ensure you maintain all of your freedom allowed by our beautiful nation:

1. If you have plans to hang with friends at a backyard barbecue and you know you’ll be drinking, see if there’s space to camp out for the night. No driving home, just fun times with friends.
2. If you’ll be enjoying time on the water, on a boat or a raft, be sure you understand the local and state laws that govern boating or rafting under the influence. Plan accordingly.
3. No matter where you’ll be, suit up your smartphone with apps that will allow you to find a safe ride home.

Statistically speaking, more DUI fatalities occur over holiday weekends like this year’s extended Fourth of July weekend, than any other time of the year. Feeling good and having fun is part of enjoying our collective independence, and as long as that is taken seriously and safely, then we can all look forward to more happy memories and less paradoxical endings to the Fourth of July weekend.