Prior to getting behind the wheel of a car and meeting friends for drinks, decide how you are getting home. The best case scenario is to leave your car at home and rely on a taxi cab or Uber to get you to and from your destination and home. Many drunk driving cases involve illegal levels of blood alcohol concentration levels following three or four drinks over several hours of drinking at bar, concert, or sporting event. The drunk driver is not even aware he or she is legally drunk when starting to drive home.
The drunk driver does not come under scrutiny by law enforcement following a horrific car crash but rather inconsistent driving. Hugging another lane, failing to signal, running a stop sign, and unsafe lane switching are enough to warrant probable cause to stop you. Once investigating the infraction, things quickly escalate when alcohol is smelled, inconsistent statements are made, and eyes appear bloodshot or watery.
Texas DWI Laws
It is illegal in Texas for people over 21 to drive with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level that is 0.08% or higher. Texas has a zero-tolerance policy with respect to underage drinking. Even if the teen is not driving, if alcohol is involved, stiff penalties are ahead for the teen. Anyone in Texas under the age of 21 is considered a minor. The legal drinking age is 21. Minors are not allowed to operate a motor vehicle with any amount of alcohol or drugs in their body.
Friends Do Not Let Friends Drive Drunk
Designated drivers are important when there are limited transportation options available. If you receive any calls from friends to pick them up at the courthouse or police station following a night of drinking, make sure you are sober and are able to drive. Alcohol impairs judgment and problems quickly spiral out of control when you and your friends are drunk.
A case in Michigan illustrates how a night out of drinking quickly descends into chaos following drunk driving and poor judgment. A 20-year-old woman was called by her two friends to pick them up from the courthouse following an arrest and arraignment for DWI. The friend got in her car and drove to the courthouse. At the courthouse, the “ride” was slurring her words and was naked from the waist down. She ultimately got herself arrested for drunk driving when she failed field sobriety and blew a BAC level of 0.133%. Coupled with her age, the friend now faces multiple DWI charges including underage drinking.
DWI Defense in Texas
Plano and Denton Texas DWI Defense lawyer Kimberly Griffin Tucker represents people in criminal DWI proceedings as well as the corresponding civil administrative ALR hearings following driver’s license suspensions. From the charge to arraignment; sentencing through nondisclosure and expungement, Kimberly Griffin Tucker handles the full spectrum of DWI cases in Denton, Collins, and Dallas Counties to help you resolve your DWI arrest as quickly as possible. Contact Kimberly Griffin Tucker online here to schedule your free case evaluation.