You decided to go out for a drink, but you didn’t think to make plans to get home. You didn’t think you’d need a ride since you only planned to have one or two drinks.
The night didn’t exactly go as expected, and you decided to drive home after several rounds of shots. You knew you might be over the limit, but you felt fine.
That feeling didn’t last and for good reason. Did you know that alcohol takes between 10 and 90 minutes to peak in your system? If you have several shots before leaving the bar, you might feel fine for 10 or 20 minutes, but as soon as that alcohol reaches your blood, you’ll know it. That’s part of the reason why binge drinking is so dangerous; alcohol builds up but hits you all at once.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t matter when that alcohol hits. If you decide to drink and drive, you could face consequences. You may be pulled over for driving dangerously or could end up in a collision that harms you, your passengers or others.
It’s a good idea to avoid drinking if you plan to drive. If you haven’t made plans to get home safely, stay sober or call a ride to come get you. Wait it out if you can’t get a ride; it’s not worth the risk to yourself or others to try to drive yourself.
If you’re facing a DWI after a night at the bar, our website has more on what you can do to protect your rights and make sure that you are being treated fairly by the authorities and legal system.
