The fact that you are not meant to drive after consuming too much alcohol is not news to anyone. There have been laws prohibiting it and campaigns about the dangers of mixing alcohol and driving for a very long time.
So why do so many people still end up being arrested for DUI? There were 315,030 people arrested in Florida alone during 2024, according to the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR).
One of the reasons is that people make mistakes. They don’t start the day intending to drive over the limit, but that is what happens. Here are some examples of why this happens.
1. Putting too much faith in a personal breath tester
If you have purchased a personal breath testing machine, it is essential to understand that you should never rely on it. A lack of calibration or the machine simply not being able to provide a high enough degree of accuracy can lead to people believing they are under the limit when they are not.
2. Misunderstanding how the body processes alcohol
Alcohol takes a little time to work itself into the body. You might feel fine before you get in the car, only for the effects to impact your driving some minutes later. Similarly, taking a test right after finishing the last drink may give a lower result than a test taken some time later, once that alcohol has reached your bloodstream.
Further, the body can only process alcohol out at a certain rate. Many people underestimate just how long they may need to refrain from drinking before their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is low enough to be safe.
3. Giving in to pressure
“You’ll be fine. It’s not far.” Plenty of people have heard such words from friends or family pressuring them to drive when they have doubts about their sobriety. They might even have this conversation with themselves, such as when it has started to rain, and their idea of leaving the car and walking home has become less appealing or when their relaxing night in with a bottle of wine is interrupted by an emergency.
If you have made a mistake and been arrested for DUI, you may still have options. With appropriate legal guidance, you can determine the best course of action.
