The 33rd annual Tucson St. Patrick’s Day Parade is scheduled for Sunday, March 15, 2020. The celebration starts early, with the parade slated to begin at 11:00 a.m. at 17th Street and Stone Avenue in what will likely be the biggest and best Tucson parade to date.
If you’re planning on attending the parade and drinking to celebrate the holiday, it’s important to drink responsibly in order to avoid being arrested for a St. Patrick’s Day DUI. Luckily for you, the Tucson criminal defense attorneys at Lerner and Rowe Law Group have put together these helpful tips to make sure you make it home safely this St. Patrick’s Day.
Plan Your Transportation Ahead of Time
One of the best ways to ensure that you aren’t tempted to get behind the wheel after the Tucson St. Patrick’s Day parade is by having a transportation plan already in place. You have lots of options when it comes to ways to get to and from the parade. There are parking garages and metered street parking available, in which case you will want to choose a designated driver for the day. Remember, if your designated driver decides to drink, they are no longer a designated driver!
If everyone in your group is planning on drinking, take public transit, hail a taxi, or schedule an Uber, Lyft, or other rideshare option. These are practical choices if you want to avoid the increased traffic surrounding the parade area.
Create a Backup Plan
If your designated driver decides to drink or if your friends leave the Tucson St. Patrick’s Day parade early, try to have a Plan B in place for how you’re going to safely leave. If you’re concerned about your car being towed, a service like Dryver can not only give you a lift, but an additional driver will drop off your vehicle at your home. You won’t have to pay to get your vehicle back and you’ll avoid a potential DUI.
Alternatively, you can call a couple good friends or family members to help you out. It’s always better to ask a favor than to risk being arrested or being involved in a drunk driving accident. If you’re unable to find a way to get your vehicle home safely, just bite the bullet. No towing fee is worth losing your license (or your life) over.
Pace Yourself
The best way to avoid a DUI, of course, is not to drink at all. But if you’ve decided to celebrate the holiday with a pint or two of Guinness, there are some things you can do to reduce the chance of a drunk driving charge (and a hangover).
You can pace yourself by having just one drink per hour and drinking plenty of water. By slowing your overall intake of alcohol, you’ll be less likely to make risky decisions like getting behind the wheel before the full effects of your most recent drink have fully set in. (You’ll also be less likely to twist your ankle while attempting an Irish jig.)
Eat a Full Meal Before You Start Drinking
As if you needed another reason to chow down on a corned beef sandwich, it turns out that eating a full meal before you begin drinking can help prevent you from getting drunk too quickly. In conjunction with pacing yourself and drinking enough water, you can enjoy all the Tucson St. Patrick’s Day Parade has to offer without wondering when you’ll be sober enough to drive home.
Arrested for DUI After the Tucson St. Patrick’s Day Parade?
Because of the Arizona zero tolerance policy, all it takes is one drink (sometimes less) to be hit with a DUI charge. With the help of Lerner and Rowe Law Group, we can evaluate your circumstances and possibly get your charge reduced or even dismissed. Was your child charged with underage drinking in Arizona? We have juvenile criminal defense attorneys for that, too.
If you find yourself stopped or arrested for DUI this St. Paddy’s Day, don’t panic–your criminal defense legal team is just a phone call away. Our Tucson DUI defense attorneys are empathetic and skilled professionals. Let us put the knowledge of our seasoned criminal defense attorneys and highly-trained legal team to work for you.
You can contact us in Tucson at 520-620-6200, chat with an online representative, or submit the details of your case using our secure and confidential contact form 24/7. Consultations are free and we offer affordable payment plans, so don’t wait.