The Affect of a DWI on Your Family Life 

Your closest loved ones are usually hurt most when you drive-while-intoxicated. The legal consequences can directly impact their life, and on an emotional level a DWI can lead to broken trust, fights, and alienation.

One common outcome is a dramatic decrease in quality of life. The loss of a driver's license could put all of the driving, shopping, and transportation burden on another household member. If you are divorced with children this could even impair your ability to see them, whether through a lack of mobility or legal restrictions. On top of this your children may be forced to give up activities like sports or clubs, because you can't drive them. 

Besides relational and transportation strain, your costs can also go up significantly. DWI charges will usually come with substantial fines that are painful for your family. Your insurance rates may also skyrocket or you may be denied coverage altogether. If you have loved ones or dependents who rely on you financially, this can be one of the most crippling results of criminal charges.

A DWI can also tarnish your reputation in your community, especially in positions of leadership like boards, committees, parenting groups, or a role as a coach. Not only will you lose trust and respect among your peers, but you may be asked to resign from these positions.

Potential Harm to Strangers and Victims 

Roughly 10,000 people are killed every year in drunk driving accidents, according to BankRate. This makes up nearly a third of all traffic fatalities! And the reality of these statistics is that many of these victims were not the intoxicated ones, but casualties of a drunk driver's decisions.

By deciding to drive drunk (even if only buzzed) you risk causing serious injury or death to innocent strangers. The same is true if you have passengers, including family and friends. Many lost lives are the result of riding in a car with an intoxicated driver.

The guilt and trauma of this experience is often worse than any legal consequences.

 Professional Consequences of a DWI  in Texas

If you're an employee or working in the professional world, DWI consequences are almost inevitable. Here are a few likely scenarios:

1. Being fired: Most employers can fire you for a DWI charge, and this is especially likely if you are in a higher ranking leadership position. A DWI incident makes an employee look unreliable, and it could tarnish the reputation of a brand if discovered.

2. Lost opportunities: promotion chances are lower and demotion chances are higher with DWI charges against you.

3. Employability issues: if you are in a driving career, such as delivery services, bus driving, or trucking, the loss or suspension of your driver's license could permanently end your career in that field.

This is especially true for CDL drivers, as heavy trucking comes with stricter standards. Thousands of Texans rely on their commercial driver’s license (CDL) to earn a living and support their families by operating large vehicles that hold cargo or passengers. For commercial drivers, a DWI charge can occur when your BAC is .04 percent or above. This legal limit is established by the FMCSA.

Even if you aren't a professional driver, losing your ability to commute would make you less employable.

4. Job rejection: having to explain a DWI after your background check for a job application is not easy. Many employers will see this as a red flag and it may limit you to a less-than-ideal job because of your limited options.

5. Lost wages: the time you'll have to spend on court appearances, and possibly serving jail time, can also result in lost wages.

These are just a few of the ways DWI charges can be deleterious for your career.

DWI Consequences Conclusion 

As you can see, when it comes to DWI in Texas it's just not worth the risk.

The serious personal and professional consequences of DWI are countless. Buzzed driving is still drunk driving; and if you're ever in doubt about how impaired you might be, choose caution and don't get behind the wheel.

If you've been arrested for DWI there are fortunately a handful of legal defenses you may be able to use. Your best option is to get an experienced lawyer by your side to help you navigate the next steps.

At McClain Bespoke Legal Solutions we custom-tailor our legal solutions to your specific needs. Get in touch with us and let us help!