It’s that time of the year again: the season of holiday parties, spiked egg nog, and mulled wine is upon us, and what can often go hand and hand with alcohol during the holidays? Drunk driving rates will spike during the festive holiday season, and that’s why so many people are giving the gift of a personal breathalyzer this year.
There are a number of reasons why you might want to have a personal breathalyzer with you or why you would want to give a friend one this holiday.
Knowing your BAC can keep you safe
Many drunk driving arrest stories start with a few drinks and end with that person deciding he or she is fine to get behind the wheel of a car. With a personal breathalyzer, the guess work of whether or not you’re fine to drive is gone. You’ll know what your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is, and that should help eliminate the choice to drink and drive.
It can save you a lot of money
The cost of a personal breathalyzer is minimal, especially when you compare it to what it will cost you if you drive drunk and are convicted on that charge. Some states can charge as much as $1,000 in fines for a first drunk driving conviction, and that doesn’t include lawyer fees, insurance premiums, driver’s license reinstatement fees, and ignition interlock fees.
A personal breathalyzer can change your perception of drunk driving
Just the very act of carrying a personal breathalyzer can make you think twice about drunk driving. When you know you’ll have to test your blood before you get in the car, you’ll be much less likely to drive drunk at all.
There’s one thing to keep in mind when using a personal breathalyzer during the holidays or any other day of the year: just because you don’t blow over the legal limit, doesn’t mean you should drive. The legal blood limit is a legal limit at which you can be charged for drunk driving, but anti-drunk driving advocates like Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) recommend that you avoid driving after drinking any amount of alcohol.
Whether you wrap one up and put it under the tree or you stuff it in a loved one’s stocking, the gift of a personal breathalyzer is one that will help keep your loved ones safe all year long.