As a Pittsburgh criminal defense lawyer who routinely represents drivers charged with DUI, I see it every day.

I want to point your attention to a story recently aired by WPXI-TV in Pittsburgh about the reaction the mother and father of their daughter, a young woman who was killed in a car crash in West Virginia in which her boyfriend was driving drunk.

The toxicology reports showed, however, that the young woman – Ashley Jones – had not imbibed, something her mother told reporters she couldn’t wrap her mind around. Ashley Jones’ mother said she always told her children not to get into a car whose driver is intoxicated.

The boyfriend, who pleaded guilty, was sentenced to nine months in jail.

In a word, this story is horrible. It’s tragic.

There are more stories I could tell you. Tales of innocent people driving down the road, killed in a head-on crash by someone going the wrong direction in their lane and driving drunk. In this case, the drunk driver had a court hearing for a previous DUI scheduled for the next day. He missed that one, but it’s ok. He had a preliminary hearing on charges of homicide by vehicle while intoxicated, instead. The man he killed was a business owner, and left behind elderly parents who relied on his care. It’s not just the drunk driver who was affected.

And that’s why I wanted you to read it. Especially this time of year.

We are embarking on prom and graduation season, and for so many young people, there will be celebrations galore where there may or may not be alcohol.

I just want to encourage the parents or high school and college kids to reach out and remind them one last time about the dangers of not only drinking and driving, but in getting in a vehicle with someone who has. But, if this happens in spite of all kinds of warnings, don’t delay in contacting a reputable Pittsburgh DUI Lawyer as soon as possible.

This Pittsburgh criminal defense lawyer has represented too many people whose lives- like the North Irwin, Pennsylvania, family involved in this story – were turned upside down because of a bad decision to get behind the wheel.

So just be careful out there.

A DUI conviction is an extremely serious offense in Pennsylvania. While most youngsters think that partying all night is the best way to have fun, they certainly forget about the deadly repercussions it entails.

The fact is if young boys and girls want to celebrate their youth and utilize their freedom by drinking alcohol, they definitely can but they must learn to take responsibility for their actions.

You cannot get drunk and then drive cars too. Either you drink in limits or you don’t drive the car when you are not sober. You are not only endangering your own life by doing so but also putting another person’s life in danger too. If you meet with any tragedy on the road, which is quite inevitable, you will either be subjected to a DUI conviction or you will have to battle it out for your life in the hospital. In both the cases, your family and loved ones will also bear the brunt of your tragic mistake.

A DUI conviction can jeopardize your future career opportunities as well as academic aspirations. So, make sure you follow the traffic rules obediently. But, if unfortunately, you have faced any kind of DUI conviction, contact a reputable Pittsburgh DUI Lawyer immediately so that the court proceedings are not delayed.

So you thought to yourself: I will just have a party here. Easy. No chance I’ll get a DUI!

But did you also think, “My guests will inevitably need to drive here. And they will likely drink some of the 84 alcohol options I will have – so I should probably have a plan so everyone stays safe.”

Yeah. I didn’t think so.

But that’s what your friendly neighborhood DUI attorney is for. If you’re hosting a party this year, here are four ways to make sure your party gusts have fun and stay safe.

1. Reward the DD. Offer a small gift to your party guests who are serving as designated drivers. I’m not saying you have to offer cash prizes, but some cookies, a bottle of wine for when they get home, or a gift card for gas go a long way. ‘Cause let’s face it. Dealing with drunk people while you’re a sober person isn’t always a piece of proverbial cake.
2. Have something for people to nosh on. Serious. It sounds simple, but your blood-alcohol content is dependent on a bunch of things, one of which is how much food is in your stomach. Nobody is demanding surf and turf served by waiters with Spanish accents wearing tuxedo and white gloves, but if you’re planning to offer your guests unlimited alcohol, at least get a sandwich ring or some buffalo chicken dip.
3. Prepare the couches! Anyone who’s ever hosted a party ever knows there is always that one person (or several of those people) who enjoys themselves a little too enthusiastically and is in no way capable of safely driving themselves home. Trust this DUI defense lawyer: Friends shouldn’t let friends drive drunk. While I am happy to help represent clients facing drunk driving charges, the process is an expensive one – with costs that go beyond what you can cover with a check. So if you’re hosting, do your friends a favor, won’t you? Break out the throw blankets, some pillows, and prepare any couches and air mattresses for use. And let people know ahead of time that it’s an option.
4. Collect keys in advance. Admission to your party should include keys at the door. Not only does it put your houseguests on notice that someone will be monitoring them at the end of the night, but it also gives you the upper hand in case someone who really shouldn’t be driving really wants to anyway. And at the end of the night, stick to your guns. If you don’t think your friend is capable of safe driving, he probably isn’t. Use a BAC chart to gauge how much is too much in the legal sense.

The above list is easy to implement, but I sense that some will resist the idea of “forcing” someone to stay where they don’t want to be.

I can understand that. No one wants to argue, least of all with a drunk (see number 1 above.) Think of it this way: how are you going to feel if you let that falling-down-drunk friend leave your house in his car, and on the way home, he wrecks his car and kills himself or someone else? Will you be sad? What about guilty? You could have prevented the accident by taking his keys.

Honestly, no drunk who gets angry with you for refusing to let him drive is going to remember the next day, anyway, so if he’s mad now, just wait it out. You’ll be best pals again in the morning.