Driving while intoxicated (DWI) is one of the most common reasons people end up with a criminal record. Part of the problem is that there is a lot of inaccurate advice floating around the internet and exchanged in bars and workplaces about how to avoid a DWI arrest.
Here are three of the most common myths.
1. You can drink right up to the blood alcohol limit
People often believe they or a friend will be fine as long as they do not pass a certain number of drinks. Rather than just stop at one drink, they will try and push it to the limit, so they drink as much as they can without risking arrest.
First, it is important to remember that any quantity of alcohol will negatively affect a person’s driving. Second, the police can still arrest someone for drunk driving even if they are under the limit based on what they saw. Finally, there is no way to know for certain how much alcohol will put a person over the legal limit.
2. You can cheat a breathalyzer test
Some people drive after drinking in the belief that they have a sure-fire tactic to trick the police breath or urine test. One example is sucking on a penny or mints before taking a breath test. That will almost certainly fail, and lead to a driver who is over the limit being arrested.
3. You should just accept a DWI charge
People often believe that they are charged with DWI, they may as well just accept it. They don’t understand the defense options that may be available and may not understand the seriousness of the consequences they could face.
No matter how you ended up facing a DWI charge, it’s wise to seek legal guidance to examine what options you have.