In this article, top DUI lawyers from the SDDP online site share their number one tips to prevent a DWI charge.
You know how the scenario goes; you get pulled over, and before you know it, you’re thrown in handcuffs and headed to the drunk tank, with threats of a DWI, as well as possibly more charges (like reckless endangerment, reckless driving, and worse). You talk to the cops and the judge and plead your case when interviewed, and before you know it, you’re in court facing the charges when all you did was had a little bit over the legal limit, but were on your way home.
In special cases like this, that’s when it can be extremely problematic. However, there are some ways to prevent this DWI from happening.
How to Keep Your Blood Alcohol Concentration Below Illegal Levels
- A breathalyzer doesn’t care if you’ve had 3 shot, 3 mixed drinks, 3 straight drinks, or 3 beers. All of them can increase your BAC the same amount.
- By keeping your BAC down, you’re not also saving yourself legal trouble, but also possibly saving yours or someone else’s life.
- You can purchase personal breathalyzers. They’re not as accurate as the ones that police offers use, so make sure you use one to stay well below the federal legal BAC levels.
- Your BAC drops about .015 hour after it’s highest amount. Normally this means that .05 of a BAC level takes about 3 hours to drop to 0. There are ways to speed this up however.
- Your BAC continues to increase even after you stop drinking, for approximately one hour.
- You can eat snacks, and even meals while you drink to avoid both drinking too much, as well as help to keep your BAC levels lower.
- If you’re at a public place, you can wait to drink with your friends when it comes to your safety.
- Don’t drink your drinks too fast. If you drink even one drink every hour and a half, your BAC will be less than it would every hour.
- Drinking games spike your BAC faster than casually drinking.
- Don’t chug your drinks (right along with #9 above).
- Though a drink in strange-shaped bottles may state they’re a certain percentage, you never actually know. You may be surprised, but these types of bottles can encourage you to drink more than you realize you’re drinking.
- Don’t think you can get away with a .05 BAC! You can still be pulled over and charged with a DUI and DWI. All it takes is one false move that can break the law and you can be charged just because you had a single drink.
Final Thoughts
In this conclusion, the best bet that any DWI criminal attorney can give to you to help you avoid a DUI charge is this:
- Have a designated driver so you can’t get in trouble. This means they don’t drink.
- If you do get pulled over, you do have the right to plead the 5th amendment and speak to your lawyer first.
- Don’t talk unless spoken too, and don’t give any information to the police to avoid jeopardizing yourself.
