Legal Help: Getting Hurt on the Street

Alcohol consumption spikes up during the holidays, and the police officers know this. The best way to avoid arrest for driving while intoxicated (DWI) is not to drink. However, if you have taken one for the road, there are still a few tricks you can use to help you avoid arrest and keep everybody safe. These tricks include the following:

Keep Your BAC Below the Limit

Unless you are in a zero-tolerance state (where any level of alcohol can get you arrested), keeping your blood alcohol content (BAC) low may help. Strategies for doing keeping your BAC low include:

• Eating while drinking (food helps to digest the alcohol)
• Setting a limit before you start drinking (and sticking to it)
• Taking drinks with low alcohol concentrations
• Alternating alcohol with water intake

Know Your State Of Impairment

Just because you aren't feeling drunk doesn't mean that you aren't impaired. It's easy to get on the road thinking that you are nearly sober while, in reality, you aren't. Therefore, confirm your state of impairment before getting onto the road. There are mobile applications that can help you track your BAC to help you know your state of impairment. For example, some work by tracking the quantity of alcohol you take and using it, together with other parameters such as your weight, to estimate your BAC.

Give Yourself Sobriety Tests

You can also gauge your likelihood of failing the sobriety tests by giving yourself comparable tests before getting behind the wheel. For example, some apps can track your involuntary eye movements or give you challenges to perform so as to gauge how sober you are.

Sleep In the Back Seat of the Car

You can be arrested for DWI even if the car is not moving. What matters is that you are in control of the car, which may be the case even if the engine is off, but you are behind the wheel. Therefore, if you want to "sleep off" the alcohol, take the car off the highway, switch off the engine, and move to the backseat. In addition, take the key out of the ignition and store it somewhere, preferably not on your person.

If you do get arrested for DWI, get a lawyer to review your case and help you prepare for the defense. The lawyer can also help you determine whether your arrest was legal and identify anomalies you can use to weaken the prosecutor's case. Click here for info about DWI.