You’ve probably heard a lot of theories about alcohol and driving. Sadly, many of them bear little relation with reality.
As children, we are brought up to believe in things without questioning whether they are correct. For instance: Every Christmas, an old guy with a white beard and a few reindeer blitzes around the world delivering presents. Working out what is true and what is not can be challenging.
Here are some nuggets of popular wisdom you need to avoid:
You can have a set number of drinks
Myth 1 – Some people say it is OK to have two glasses of wine, two beers or one rum and coke before driving. They are wrong in several ways. The first is that any amount of alcohol reduces your ability to drive safely. Second, different people process alcohol in different ways. Some of that is to do with body size, some genetics and some down to factors such as what else you have eaten or drunk recently. Third, the police can still charge you with drunk driving even if you test below the limit if you were driving in a way that suggests the alcohol affected you.
Myth 2 – If you test positive, a DWI conviction is automatic
Even if you blow over the Breathalyzer limit, a conviction is not guaranteed. There are several ways you can contest DWI charges, for instance, challenging the validity of the reading or challenging the police’s adherence to proper procedures.
That takes us to the final myth, that a DWI is just another traffic ticket. It is not, it could land you with a criminal record, as well as considerable financial penalties and even jail time. If you are charged this holiday season, it is crucial to find out more about your defense options.
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