Boston Criminal Lawyer Blog
The holidays are notoriously one of the worst times of year for drunk driving. From just before Thanksgiving to just after New Year’s Day, people attend more alcohol-laden parties than at any other time of year. We eat more, drink more, and are generally more merry. This is all good news, unless you decide to get behind the wheel of your car. Don’t sabotage your cheer and joy with an OUI this holiday season.
Tips to Avoid Becoming an OUI Statistic
The only surefire way to avoid getting an OUI is to never drink and drive. If you plan on drinking, designate a sober driver before heading out for the evening. If you drink more than planned and don’t have a driver, call a taxi, an Uber, or a friend. And if you decide to drive after one drink, heed the advice below.
- Be sure that you’re under the legal limit. In MA, a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 is above the legal limit. To help keep your BAC under this threshold, eat plenty of food while drinking, limit your consumption to no more than one drink per hour, and stop drinking long before you have to drive. Keep in mind, however, none of these suggestions guarantee that your BAC will remain under the legal limit. The only way to be certain is to stick to non-alcoholic beverages.
- Use extra caution when driving. Safe driving practices are always important, but if you’ve had a drink, obeying traffic laws becomes crucial. Now is not the time to fail to come to a complete stop at a stop sign, or attempt to beat a yellow light, for example. And of course, don’t text or talk on your cell phone. An MA OUI defense attorney can help you protect your rights if you’ve been charged with an OUI.
- Use an OUI app to reduce your risk. The following apps can help, but the only fail safe is to avoid drinking and driving altogether.
- DrinkTracker: With this app, you can estimate your BAC based on the amount of alcohol you’ve consumed.
- Intoxicheck: This app measures your reaction times, judgment, dexterity and memory through the use of multiple challenges. To get an accurate reading, the user must first perform the challenges sober to measure the differences after drinking.
- BreathalEyes: Similar to the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus test that police sometimes use to determine if a driver is intoxicated, this app tracks involuntary movements of the eyes.
- BACtrack Mobile Breathalyzer: Although not an app, this breathalyzer device attaches to your smartphone and works with an app through which you record how much you drink throughout the night.
If you do get pulled over, be calm, cooperative, and respectful. You do not need to submit to a field sobriety or breath test, but refusing a breath test will likely result in an automatic six month suspension of your driver’s license. If your charges are dismissed, however, the six month suspension may also disappear. A Boston OUI defense attorney can help you determine how to proceed if you’ve been charged with an OUI.
Altman & Altman, LLP – Premier OUI Defense Law Firm Serving Boston and the Surrounding Areas
If you have been charged with an OUI, the skilled legal team at Altman & Altman, LLP can help. We have been protecting the rights of individuals charged with criminal offenses for more than 50 years. It is our goal to keep you out jail, and to keep your record clean. The best advice we can give you is to never drink and drive. But if you made a mistake, we can help. Contact Altman & Altman, LLP today for a free and confidential consultation about your case.
While the above information is intended to help you avoid a DUI arrest, please take special heed of the first tip to simply not drink and drive—it is the best way to enjoy this holiday season free of any DUI consequences for you or anyone else.
