How to avoid a DUI offense
It’s summer time and we’re all eager to get outside, enjoy the nice weather and inevitably crack open a nice cold beer, preferably in the company of good friends. Tacoma’s legendary Brew Five Three Beer and Music Festival is quickly approaching and as a proud sponsor, we believe in DUI education for anyone who plans to attend. The truth is, no one ever PLANS to get a DUI. But arming yourself with the knowledge and understanding of a DUI may be helpful for you OR a friend in the improbable case one of you receives a DUI. Our number one goal at Smith and White is to keep you safe and protect our clients – by educating you on why you should never drive under the influence and what’s a stake if you decide to do so.
How to prevent a DUI
We cannot emphasize enough the importance of having a designated driver or finding a ride home if you’ve been drinking. This is a foolproof way to avoid an unnecessary DUI. If you’re not sure which service to use, we found this handy website, Ride Guru (screenshot below), that offers a side-by-side comparison and complete breakdown for the cost of service between popular ride service options – so you can make a confident decision. Uber and Lyft are still the most reasonable options, but it also offers pricing for local taxis and ride sharing companies like Curb and Flywheel.
I got a DUI. Now what?
Act fast. If you do encounter the unfortunate event of a DUI, call us as soon as possible at: (253) 203-1645. We’re here for you and our phones are staffed 24 hours a day to ensure you can reach us.
As DUI criminal defense attorneys, we’ve been listening to our clients discuss the events leading up to a DUI for more than 30 years. Throughout these conversations, we quickly learned about the multitude of other factors that often contribute to these offenses. Call us right away so we can hear your story and determine the plan that best suits your needs. We tailor our approach on an individualized basis to achieve the best results for you and your situation.
What is classified as a DUI? And what are my consequences?
A DUI is having a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08% or greater or having a concentration of five nanograms or more of THC (the chemical compound in cannabis, i.e. marijuana) per milliliter of blood. While there are a lot of factors that play into a DUI and they vary by state — multiple offenses, being in possession of drugs, your compliance once your pulled over — our friends at Driving Laws offer a helpful summary of the penalties for a DUI in Washington State: https://dui.drivinglaws.org/washington.php.
Our final words of wisdom…Continue to educate yourself. You won’t regret it.
Visit our Resources section to learn more about field sobriety tests, multiple offenses or minor DUI offenses. Have questions about any of this information? Pease give us a call today. We’re here to be your advocate.