If you are the occasional social drinker and try to be careful about driving anytime you are the slightest bit intoxicated, you may think you are in the clear and will never be slapped with a DWI charge. Unfortunately, knowing when you are affected enough by alcohol or some other substance that you should not drive is not always as easy as a lot of people think. To ensure you never get charged with an unexpected DWI and the need for an attorney, you should familiarize yourself with these reasons why recognizing your inebriation may not be as easy as you think.
Most people have a hard time recognizing when they've had too much to drink to drive.
It may sound simple; if you have had too much to drink, you simply don't drive, but how much is too much to drink? Most people can tell when they are completely inebriated, but knowing that they have had enough alcohol that it has changed their perception is a different story. Throw in the fact that the same blood alcohol level can feel different for different individuals, and it can be nearly impossible to know if those two glasses of wine, two shots, or couple of beers has actually made you unable to drive. The best rule to follow? Simply don't drink alcohol at all if you plan to drive, or make arrangements for a sober driver.
Most people have no idea that some prescription and over-the-counter medications can affect their driving abilities.
Those slips of papers from the pharmacy when you pick up a new prescription and those warning labels on the over-the-counter medications you buy really should be given the proper attention. It is in this fine print where you will find information about how a particular medication could affect your driving abilities. A lot of drivers start a new medication and take off in a vehicle before they know how it will affect them, which can easily lead to a DWI charge.
Most people assume sleep will sober them up enough to drive.
You are at a friends house and have one too many drinks to drive home, so you crash on the couch and plan to drive home in a few hours. Even this could get you in major trouble if you happen to get pulled over. Sleep can help you feel like you have sobered up and your blood alcohol level could come down, but sleep alone is not enough to substantially eliminate the alcohol from your system.
If you find yourself charged with a DWI, an attorney such as David A. Mansfield can be a valuable resource.
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