Summer Road Trip Reality Check: Can a Night Out Cost You Everything?

Hey there, parents! It’s summer, college students are home, neighborhood barbecues are popping, and “Hey, let’s just grab a drink” moments are happening more than ever. We all give the standard “Don’t drink and drive” talk, but sometimes kids need something a bit more… real. Here are the cold, hard truths about how easy it is to get a DUI or an open-container ticket in Florida and how fast one mistake can derail every major goal they’ve been working toward.

Open Container – It’s More Serious Than You Think

Imagine your kid chilling in the backseat with an open drink, even if they’re just a passenger. Florida law says no open container of alcohol is allowed anywhere in the passenger area of a car on public roads, moving or parked. That means a half-drunk beer at a stoplight can cost them up to $500 and put points on their license. And for under-21 students, that’s a big deal.

Parked, Car Off, Drink in Hand = Ticket

Here’s something most don’t realize: Florida law applies even if the vehicle is parked or stopped on a public road, sidewalk, or alley and the engine doesn’t even have to be running for it to count as a violation. So if your kid’s hanging out in the passenger seat with a partially drunk beer during a tailgate, or your adult student grabs a cold one while waiting for friends, that’s enough to pull them into legal trouble.

One Drink Can Put You Over the Line

Florida’s zero-tolerance law for under-21 drivers means even a tiny sip can count as a DUI. A Blood Alcohol Concentration of just 0.02% (about one drink) can get them in trouble. For those over 21, 0.08% is the limit and it doesn’t take much to reach that either.

One DUI Can Crash Their Future

Here’s where reality sinks in:

• Law students? A DUI on record can jeopardize admission to law school, erase dreams of joining the bar, or block careers in public service.
• Doctors, nurses, teachers? Many licensing boards won’t even consider someone with a DUI which can mean no residency, no clinicals, no classroom.
• No job? No scholarship? Colleges can revoke scholarships or campus housing. Employers? Many won’t hire someone with a DUI for jobs involving trust, responsibility, or driving.

That dream internship, future classroom, or med school acceptance slips away just like that, a single misstep, and there’s no turning back.

Insurance and Minor Penalties = Major Mess

Even if it’s “just” a first DUI:

• Expect hundreds or thousands more in insurance premiums.
• Lose your license for months, maybe a year.
• Pay fees, fines, compulsory alcohol classes, and maybe community service

It’s more than just money, it’s taking months off the road, missing summer jobs, internships, or even classes.

One Mistake, One Moment

It happens so easily: hanging with friends, one drink, texting moments later – done. A DUI or open-container citation doesn’t require a car crash. It can happen:

• On the way home from a party.
• In a parking lot at midnight in a parked car, with the engine off.

Talk It Out

Next time you sit down with your kid, skip the sleepy lecture. Say:

“Even one beer? You can lose scholarships, dorms, career paths, law, medical school, and teaching jobs disappear. It’s not scare tactics, it’s reality.”

They need to know: the wrong decision one summer night = calling security, calling you, or… sometimes never calling home again.

You can’t protect them from every mistake, but you can have the talk that hits hard enough to stick.

This summer, sit them down. Be serious and say:

“I love you. One bad call could cost everything you’re building, no excuses, no do-overs.”

Because avoiding one mistake tonight can save their entire tomorrow.

Stay safe and enjoy the sunshine,
López & Humphries, P.A.