One common mistake that people make is believing that they can sober up quickly. Someone might spend all evening drinking with their friends, only to realize at the end that they still need to drive home. They will drink a glass of water or spend a half hour going to get a cup of coffee, assuming that their BAC will decline and they can drive without worry.
But this generally does not work because your BAC just does not decline that fast. The average rate is 0.015% per hour. In other words, if someone had a BAC of 0.10, even if they waited for an entire hour after having their last drink, they would not be below the legal limit. Plus, your BAC actually climbs a bit when you have that last drink, as your body processes the alcohol.
Getting a DUI the next day
A related issue that sometimes comes up is when people get pulled over the morning after drinking. Say that someone stays out late on a Thursday night and then has to get up early to drive to class at the local college or to drive into the office. Since they slept that night, they feel like they have sobered up.
But if that person only slept for a few hours, their BAC may not have dropped far at all. They could certainly still be over the legal limit.
Addressing drunk driving charges
Are you facing drunk driving charges? You may be worried about financial fines, the loss of your driver’s license, jail time, higher insurance premiums and many other consequences. Be sure you know what legal defense options you have moving forward.