Many people believe that they can have one drink and then drive without worrying about being pulled over on suspicion of drunk driving. They’re not concerned about having a glass of wine with dinner or a beer after work.
But is this the right perspective to take? There are actually a few ways in which having just a single drink could lead to drunk driving charges.
Zero tolerance rules
First and foremost, those who are under 21 have a legal limit of a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.02%. This is much lower than 0.08% given to the rest of the population, and it could be reached after only one drink. So if someone is underage, they need to be aware that consuming any alcohol could lead to these charges.
How much was in the drink?
Another thing to look at is what constitutes a standard drink. Generally, this is considered to be 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of liquor. If someone has a drink with two shots in it, they may consider it one drink, but they would still have consumed “two drinks” of alcohol.
Impairment is the issue
Finally, what police are looking for is alcohol impairment. If they believe you’re impaired, regardless of your blood alcohol concentration, they can make an arrest. So there are certainly drivers who get arrested even though they are under the legal limit because the police still think they’ve had enough alcohol that their ability to drive has decreased.
Those who have been arrested on drunk driving charges need to be well aware of all the legal defense options at their disposal. This can have a major impact on the rest of a person’s life.