Everyone knows that they should not drink and drive. It is impossible not to have heard this message at some point in your life. The warnings against drinking and driving are everywhere. Of course, when people get drunk they often forget the warnings, drive anyway and find themselves in need of a Florida DUI lawyer. However, what many people are not aware of is that it is possible to heed the warnings against drinking and driving, but still get arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. That is, the next day. If you have a lot to drink in one night, call a cab to get home and go to bed, it is still possible that you might not be legally sober the next morning. Even if you do not have a hangover, you might still be under the influence. The problem is that blood alcohol leaves your system slowly. If you drive to work the next morning or go out to get something for breakfast, you are putting yourself at risk for getting a DUI. You can be driving normally, but if you get stopped for a simple speeding violation and the officer smells alcohol, you are likely to find yourself in trouble.

To avoid this, you need to be extra cautious the morning after a heavy night of drinking. Your best bet is to not drive at all the next morning. If you have to go out to get something from the store, wait until later in the day. Consider taking a cab into work or calling in sick if you can.

If you do decide to risk driving the morning after drinking heavily, then be sure that you take a nice long shower or bath. Brush your teeth more diligent than you normally do and use some non-alcoholic mouthwash. It’s very important that you try to remove any trace of alcohol from your body because you do not want an officer smelling it. This goes for drugs as well. I mean prescription drugs. Just because they are legal, does not mean you can drive if they impair your ability to drive. Remember, the legal standard is: Under the influence of drugs or alcohol to the extent your normal faculties are impaired, or over a .08 blood alcohol level. Of course if you are on drugs and get arrested, they can not take your blood unless their is a serious injury. They can never make you give urine. Thus, if you are on drugs and get pulled over, don’t admit it and don’t pee.

It should also go without saying that if you do decide to drive, you need to be very careful to obey all of the traffic laws. Pay attention to your surroundings as well so you will see any law enforcement vehicles on the road. If you do get stopped, do not admit to drinking a lot the night before. Officers are aware that your blood alcohol content can be over the legal limit the next morning. Do not give them an excuse to ask you to take a breathalyzer.

Finally, if you are arrested for a DUI after a night of heavy drinking, make sure that you call a Florida DUI lawyer. It’s important to understand that an experienced attorney can help you be found not guilty or at least receive a lighter punishment than you otherwise might receive. Never admit to any guilt until you have spoken to attorney. If you have questions about what a Florida DUI attorney can do for you, then please give my office a call. We offer free consultations and will be happy to talk to you about how we can assist in your DUI case.