You’ve been waiting for this time of year since you started your first semester on campus in New Jersey. Soon, you’ll be living it up with your friends, far away from textbooks, lectures, tests and the other pressures of college life. Spring break serves as a welcome diversion for thousands of college students across the nation, and for many merchants as well, whose businesses pick up steam when groups of hungry and thirsty young adults patronize their establishments.
Since your long-awaited vacation only lasts a week or so, you’ll probably want to cram in as much fun in as possible. Nothing can bring vacation fun to a halt like a motor vehicle accident or trouble with the law. If you’re in an accident, you or someone you know could be badly injured. If you get arrested, you’ll have to call home and tell your parents you’re in jail. Either scenario could ruin your idea of a good time.
Tips for spring break safety
Not only do many college travelers worry about avoiding DUI charges and car crashes, some also worry about becoming victims of crime. Studies show that many alcohol-related assaults, thefts and other frightening incidents occur during annual spring breaks throughout the nation. Keeping the following in mind might help you stay safe and out of trouble:
- Choose hotel rooms strategically: Avoid first floor rooms because they get broken into often; instead, a room above the first but below the sixth floor might be the safest.
- Take turns driving: This helps make sure everyone stays alert and well rested when it’s his or her turn to drive. Placing someone in the front passenger seat allows him or her to act as radio dial assistant so the driver can focus on the road, along with providing a second pair of eyes.
- Call a cab: It’s no secret that drinking alcohol plays a prominent role in spring break parties. Even if you drove to an event, if you want to avoid a DUI, but failed to abstain from alcohol, you could simply call a taxi or take a shuttle bus, if available.
- Check your driver: If you do decide to be someone’s passenger for the night, it’s typically wise to keep your eye on the driver to make sure that person remains inappropriate (and legal) condition before getting behind the wheel.
Even if you do your best to stay safe, the chance remains that something might go wrong. Large crowds and lots of traffic increase the chances of an accident happening. If you’re pulled over, or end up in a collision that injured another person (while you were driving) things could get complicated if an officer suspects you of intoxication. If you’re under age 21, your problems just got a whole lot worse. Not only do your spring break memories become tainted, but also your college career might end up at stake.
A New Jersey lawyer with experience in navigating the juvenile justice system could provide you with a great asset in such circumstances. Underage drinking is obviously a serious matter and the penalties of a conviction can be severe, especially if someone suffered injuries in an accident. It often helps to remain calm and think positive; options might exist that help reduce the potential negative consequences of your situation.