Getting a DUI can really become a road block in your life. In addition to the high fees, your insurance premium is bound to go up, you will have a criminal record, and it is possible that with a few more infractions, you could be in danger of losing your license or your car.

And yet, it happens all the time. Every single day, 4,000 people are arrested for drunk driving, and indeed, the cost of drunk driving to the U.S. every year is $199 billion.

It is a scary thought to think that there are so many intoxicated drivers on the road, especially when you hear that 29% of convicted drunk drivers are repeat offenders. But at the same time, the repercussions make it very difficult to go about your daily life. For instance, it is very hard to get to work if you aren’t allowed to drive for a couple of months.

This is one of the main reasons you’ll want to get a DUI lawyer as soon as you can. You might as well try very hard to minimize the effects of your mistake, and prevent it from affecting you adversely for too long.

In order to help your DUI attorney, the first thing you should do after an arrest is take careful account of your surroundings — this goes for all traffic infractions, actually. What you observe, and the testimonials of any witnesses might really help you out when you and your lawyer are arguing your DUI charge in court.

You should make sure to offer full disclosure to your lawyer. After all, they are the ones who will be helping you to go on living your life.

As with all traffic infractions, you will most likely have to pay a large fee, unless your lawyer is able in some way to get you out of that.

If you do end up getting a DUI, whatever you do, don’t panic! Things will turn out alright, especially if you have a great DUI lawyer to help you out and argue your case in the court.