Three Things You Should Check Before Leaving The Bar To Avoid A DUI
The legal blood alcohol content for drivers in most states is quite low. This means that it's possible to be legally drunk even if you don't feel drunk yourself. To be clear, it is always a good idea to get someone else who has not been drinking to drive you home if you have had any alcohol at all. But if you must drive home yourself and you are unsure about how you will look and sound in the event you are pulled over, here are three quick tests you can try to find out. A word of caution: passing these tests does not guarantee you can avoid a DUI.
Check Your BAC with a Keychain Breathalyzer
The most effective way to make sure you are not drunk is to check the one thing that can be the most damning in the event a police officer pulls you over. Personal breathalyzers are sold for a relatively low price today, including small ones that can fit on your keychain. These breathalyzers might not be as accurate as the one that a police officer would use, but checking your blood alcohol content with a keychain breathalyzer is better than nothing. If you are near or over the legal limit in your state, call a taxi or get a friend to drive you home.
Check Your Eyes in the Mirror
When a police officer pulls you over, he or she tends to check for signs of intoxication. One of these signs is bloodshot eyes. Before leaving the bar, head to the bathroom and take a close up look at your eyes. If there is redness, you are probably too drunk to drive. You can try taking some eye drops with you to alleviate this, but doing so will not make you less drunk.
Check for Slurred Speech
The other tell-tale sign that someone might be intoxicated is if they slur their words. While you could try doing something like saying the alphabet out loud before you get in your car, a person may not be able to tell if they are drunk from the sound of their own voice. A more effective way to check if your speech is slurred is to use an app on your phone to record your voice, and then play it back to yourself. When your voice is no longer internal but coming from an external source, you will be better able to evaluate what you really sound like. Again, this is no guarantee that you won't need to go searching through the listings for local DUI lawyers if you are pulled over.
The legal blood alcohol content level for driving in most states is very low. You should use extreme caution if you are going to attempt to drive after drinking, or better yet, don't drive at all. If you really feel like you must drive, there are a few tests you can give yourself to see how you will look and sound to a police officer in the event you are pulled over. For professional advice, talk to someone like Hogan-Kimrey LLP Attorneys At Law.