Maintain your vehicle to ensure there are no broken lights, expired state inspection or registration stickers, or anything else that can give a police officer the opportunity to pull you over
Set-up a designated driver for the night prior to going out, and two drivers for large groups
If you are too drunk to drive contact a designated driver service, taxi company, or a family member/close friend
Take the keys from the intoxicated person who intends on driving!
Suggest alternate ways of getting to their destination — a cab, a sober driver, public transportation
Remember that the person you are talking to is impaired — talk a bit more slowly and explain things more fully than if you were speaking to a sober person
Explain that you don’t want them to drive because you care and you don’t want them to hurt themselves or others
Suggest that they sleep over
Enlist a friend to help you or to act as moral support — it’s more difficult to say ‘no’ to two (or three or four) people than one
If possible, get the person’s keys. It is far easier to persuade the potential driver when you hold this leverage
Wait several hours before you drive, and consume food and water to possibly decrease your blood alcohol level
Sleep in your vehicle with the keys in the glove box, the emergency break active, locked doors, sitting anywhere but the driver’s seat, and legally parked. Otherwise, officers may arrest you for DWI
If you are parked in a business or private parking lot and the business is not open, then you have no legal right to park there, and the police will check up on you
Taxi & Driver service apps
How Police Officers Identify Drunk Drivers on the Road
Driving at high or low speed
Slow response to traffic signals
Swerving, drifting, or moving over the center line
Stopping abruptly, and braking for no reason
Making illegal or wide turns
Operating the vehicle without headlights at night
Driving on the wrong side of the road
Near collisions with anything
Call the Law Offices of Edwin J. Youngblood at (817) 338-4777 to obtain a experienced DWI attorney today!
Legal Advice to Possibly Avoid DWI Arrest
Have your driver’s license, registration, and insurance easily accessible
Pull over immediately, and park in a safe place for you and the officer
It is not illegal to drive after you’ve consumed alcohol, but it is a good idea not to do so…
Be honest, however do not provide evidence against you
DO NOT volunteer the information that you’ve consumed alcohol!
However, do not refuse to answer the question as this will lead to further suspicion
Note the time the officer pulled you over, as some use this question to assess your awareness
Be polite to the officers, and jail staff involved
You are being recorded, don’t do anything that the prosecutors could use against you in court
You can respectfully decline taking any standard field sobriety tests, such as walking a straight line, and watching the officer’s finger – especially if it is windy or the ground is uneven.
Make the police officer aware of any physical weaknesses, such as bad knees.
If you do opt to do a standard field sobriety test the officer will note if you waited for the instructions to begin or started without hearing all of the requests
If possible choose a breath test, as it’s easier to attack in court.
However, denial of a blood, breath, or urine testing will likely result in a license suspension, as the officer has reasonable doubt you are impaired
Be observant and note all events leading up to the arrest, and afterwards
How to Calculate if you’re Over .08 (the legal limit in all States)
BAC calculator Formula: BAC% = (A × 5.14/W × r) - .015 × H
Key:
A: Total alcohol consumed(ounces/oz)
W: Body weight (pounds/lbs)
r: Alcohol distribution ratio (0.73 for males, and 0.66 for females)
H: Hours passed since consumption
Note: These calculations can be inaccurate given:
Medication
Metabolism
Amount of food consumed recently
Hereditary/hormonal factors
blood alcohol calculator app
Legal Tips for After being Charged with DWI
If you’ve been arrested contact a family member or close friend to bail you out as soon as possible to avoid prolonged time in jail
Appear at your court date on time, and ask your lawyer questions prior to your appearance
If you don’t show up to court a warrant will be issued for your arrest
