There’s still plenty of summer left. That could mean more barbecues, picnics, music festivals, and outdoor patio parties – and available alcohol. But drinking too much and driving is a huge problem you want to avoid.
You don’t want to have to ask us about the cost of SR-22 insurance or what SR-22 insurance even is. Hint: It makes your insurance very expensive and labels you a high-risk driver.
That’s why we’re offering these alternatives to driving under the influence.
Get a Designated Driver
Maybe the most popular member of your crowd is the one friend who hates alcohol. Or who once loved it too much and hasn’t had a drop in years. Whatever the reason, you can always trust this one friend behind the wheel because their blood alcohol level is always zero.
Keep that friend. Invite them along everywhere this summer and beyond. Buy them dinner and as many non-alcoholic beverages as they want. What you spend on designated drivers almost guarantees impaired driving prevention and the summer event safety of the whole gang.
Employ Rideshare Services for Sober Transportation
The next best thing to a non-drinking friend is a sober stranger. Take an Uber, Lyft, or other rideshare service to get to and from your activity.
Note: Don’t drive to your event planning to take an Uber if you drink too much. You’ll probably think it’s too big a hassle to leave your car in an unattended lot, so you’ll chance the drinking and driving risks.
If you’re not quite in a state of mind to make rational decisions, you might make the wrong one. Let someone else drive you both ways.
Play and Stay
What we mean by that is to take advantage of opportunities where you can drink on-site and not drive away until at least the next day. That could mean arranging ahead of time to spend the night at your host’s home when invited to their festivities. (That “ahead of time” part is important because you don’t want to learn at two a.m., as the party’s winding down, that there’s some reason you can’t crash at your host’s apartment as you assumed you could.)
You might also “play and stay” at a four-day music festival where you’ve set up your overnight gear in campgrounds at the venue.
Whatever the situation, just make sure that there’s no doubt that you’ll be able to sleep right where you’re at and not get behind the wheel of your car until the next (alcohol-free) day.
Find Cheap SR-22 Auto Insurance Quotes
Go to Alcohol-Optional or Booze-Free Summer Outings
Although it might seem to be the case, not every summertime activity is centered around drinking. You might go canoeing or kayaking or spend the day at an amusement park, a family outing, or a church picnic without even thinking about alcohol consumption.
Even adults experience peer pressure. You might feel that if “everyone” is drinking, you have to do the same. That’s not true, of course, but it can also work — to your advantage — in reverse. If most people in the crowd aren’t drinking, you might find it much easier to go without for the day.
That way, you’ll eliminate the drinking and driving risks. But if all else fails, learn more about what’s likely to come if you get behind the wheel under the influence this summer.
What Is an SR-22?
It often gets called SR-22 insurance, but that’s not entirely accurate. An SR-22 is actually proof of insurance. It’s paperwork that most U.S. states legally require once a driver has been convicted of a DUI or had their license suspended for other serious offenses.
Once you’re allowed to drive again, the state insists that you have an SR-22 as evidence that you have financial responsibility in the form of auto insurance.
The cost of SR-22 insurance will vary, depending on where you live, but in general, it can cost double what you had been paying for auto insurance.
Learn More About SR-22 Details in Your State
You’ll likely have all kinds of questions if your state ever requires you to get an SR-22 to drive again. That’s why we’re here. Visit SR-22 Adviser for answers to all of your questions, including those pertaining to the laws where you live. In the meantime, remember our partner site offers cheap DUI solutions if you ever do make a bad choice and get convicted of drinking and driving.