For some people, it is extremely difficult to make the distinction between being okay to drive and being completely intoxicated. This becomes an especially big issue when someone decides that they can drive and then ends up in a car accident. According to one Massachusetts drunk driving attorney, over 1.6 million people are arrested for a DUI each year, and almost a quarter of all driving fatalities in the U.S. are caused by drunk drivers. To avoid becoming a statistic, make sure that you always check yourself for the following five signs to determine if you are too drunk to drive.
1) A Lack of Balance – Although everyone trips or loses their balance occasionally, it is not normal to continuously stumble or fall down. If you are not able to stay upright and walk in a straight line without holding onto a wall, then it is clear that you are highly intoxicated and should not even consider driving.
2) Listen to Your Friends – Your friends care about you, so if they are telling you that they think you are too drunk to drive, you should listen to them. In most instances, someone will offer to either give you a ride or call a taxi for you. Make sure that you take them up on one of these offers.
3) Something Important is Missing – For some reason, a lot of people who become intoxicated will lose something that they would never lose while sober. For example, a person who wears glasses may take them off and set them down in an odd place. In a more extreme example, you may find yourself unexpectedly not wearing shoes or even your pants. These are glaringly obvious signs that you are too drunk to drive and that someone should help you gather your belongings and take you home.
4) Everything Falls to the Floor – If you try to pick up your keys, your cellphone or even just a napkin and you end up dropping it onto the floor, then you are definitely too intoxicated to get behind the wheel of a vehicle. Consider for a moment how preposterous it is to think that can safely drive a car when you cannot even manage to put the keys into the ignition without dropping them.
5) Extreme Affection – It is always nice to tell people you care about them, but if you find yourself telling everyone in the bar that you love them, then you should definitely reconsider driving home. In order to determine if you are being more affectionate than usual without saying the standard line of “I love you guys,” you are supposed to pay attention to the reactions of your friends. For example, if you do not usually insist on constantly hugging people, then your friends are most likely going to call you out on it by telling you that you are drunk.
People who are exhibiting one or more of the above signs who decide to drive anyway are risking both their life and the lives of everyone else on the road. Even if you manage to avoid hitting anyone, the odds are high that you will be pulled over. If this happens, it is vital to immediately contact a DUI attorney. The odds are high that your license will be suspended and you will receive large fines, but a skilled attorney may be able to keep you from dealing with jail time.