Did you know that 28 people in the United States die every day from drunk-driving crashes?
One drink leads to another, and suddenly you’re four lemon drops deep when the bar lights come on.
With keys in hand and your bar-mates spinning out the doors, you may ask yourself, “am I too drunk to drive?”
Protect yourself and others by following the steps in this article.
Am I too Drunk to Drive?
If you are asking yourself this question, chances are you shouldn’t get behind the wheel. Even if you feel like you are in control, it is better to be safe than sorry. The legal and personal consequences of this choice can be irreversible.
Follow these four steps on how to tell if you’re drunk before making any decisions about driving.
Count Your Beverages
Before getting behind the wheel, recall the number and type of beverages you have consumed. This will be a challenge in and of itself to test your memory skills. If you can remember your drinks, consider their alcohol content and the matter of time in which you consumed them.
A standard drink includes one beer, one glass of wine, or 1.25oz of hard liquor. You should aim to consume no more than one standard drink per hour. Following this rule should keep your blood-alcohol content (BAC) below the legal limit of 0.08%.
So you’ve had less than one drink per hour, but are you too drunk to drive? Your body weight, gender, and food and water consumption will also affect your BAC. Trust your instincts and play it safe.
Consider Your Conversations
If you can determine that you’ve had less than one standard drink per hour, check for other signs of intoxication. One classic symptom of being drunk is unusual conversations.
Slurring or stumbling on your words may mean you are intoxicated. If you think you are speaking clearly, consider your conversations themselves.
Arguing, shouting, or making strange confessions shows a lack of inhibition. The alcohol is affecting your judgment.
Check Your Coordination
A lack of physical coordination is another sign of drunkenness. Tripping, falling, and dropping items are classic indicators that you’ve had too much to drink. If you haven’t made these blunders yet, try to stand still and notice if you are rocking or wavering in place.
Another way to check your coordination is to use technology. Check if you’ve been calling the wrong number or sending a wildly misspelled or inappropriate text.
If you had trouble searching for this article, you may be drunk.
Trust Your Friends
Even if you have had less than one drink per hour, maintained stable conversation, and seem to be coordinated, you should still check with friends. You may not even have to ask, “am I drunk?” If your friends are telling you not to drive, believe them.
If your friend is sober, ask them to take you home. If everyone has been drinking, order a rideshare car. True friends will care about you and want to make sure you get home safely.
Risks of Driving Drunk
Endangering yourself and others can totally ruin your night (or your life). Penalties can include DUI and DWI charges, jail time, injuries, or death.
Next time you ask yourself, “am I too drunk to drive?” remember to follow the steps above. Count, consider, check, and trust. You’ll thank yourself in the morning.
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