Picking up a drunk driving charge will lead to serious short-term and long-term consequences. Firstly, you will get a criminal record. That can affect all sorts of areas of your life. Secondly, you will face penalties such as fines and license suspension.

Therefore, you want to do everything you can to avoid getting a driving while intoxicated (DWI) charge.

The only sure way is to avoid drinking altogether. Yet, like many people, you may enjoy an alcoholic drink. The law does not forbid you from drinking alcohol and then driving. It merely prohibits you from being over the limit (although the police can still issue charges to people under the limit with evidence the alcohol has seriously impaired their ability to drive safely).

You could try to measure your drinking

It’s not just how many drinks you have that matter but what you drink. For instance, three glasses of low-alcohol beer are less likely to get you a DWI than three glasses of whisky (especially if you fill the whisky glass to the same level as you would a beer).

You could consider testing yourself

Personal Breathalyzers are available on the internet. They could give you an idea of your blood alcohol content, but you should never rely on them. They can be inaccurate, and a court will not give you any sympathy if you tested negative on your machine but positive on the police one.

If you thought you were safe to drive, but the police say you were not, you will need legal help to fight the DWI charge.