Everyone asks me, “Brad, what should I do if I get stopped?” That answer is too complex and is 100% situation specific. The best starting point is to understand beverage alcohol and Ohio’s DUI laws.
Many people erroneously believe it takes 90 minutes to eliminate a drink from the blood stream after consumption. Actually, the exact opposite is true. It takes about 90 minutes for one drink to be completely absorbed in the blood stream. It is 90 minutes “in”, not 90 minutes “out”.
Most beers are about 4% alcohol. Most wines hover between 12%-14% alcohol. Gin, vodka, bourbon, scotch, and whiskeys are typically 40% alcohol. If you think of alcoholic drinks as a type of drug (which they are), then it is easier to explain the differences. Wine (12%-14% alcohol) and liquors (40% alcohol) are completely different drugs than beer. Think dosage of ethanol to the brain. The dosage of ethanol in a cocktail made of bourbon, scotch, martinis, vodka, and other “cocktails” is much, much greater than the dosage of ethanol in a beer. Impairment happens much faster with higher doses of ethanol (vodka, gin, bourbon, scotch) than lower doses of ethanol (beer and wine). 1 martini is not the equivalent to 2 beers. Not even close.
If you plan on driving after drinking, don’t think of the number of drinks, but think about the grams of ethanol you are introducing into your blood stream. The safest ethanol-beverage to consume socially and safely is and always will be – beer.
For a legal consultation, call (614) 884-1100
My practical advice to clients is to either (a) don’t consume any ethanol before driving or (b) limit your pre-driving consumption of ethanol to 2 beers in 2 hours. Either way you will not be impaired, under the influence, or DUI. Take a breath test to prove it. You will never need to call a lawyer for a DUI arrest.
However, if you choose to consume “more than enough beer” or any amount of vodka, gin, bourbon, or scotch prior to driving, be aware that you are introducing many more grams of impairment-causing ethanol to your blood stream even though you probably don’t “feel drunk”. Also, the “pour” varies dramatically from place to place. Private clubs and neighborhood bars / restaurants have a much more generous pour than a corporate, heavily regulated bar / restaurant.
Remember, BAC machines measure the grams of ethanol in the body, not the number of drinks consumed. It is wise to never drive after drinking more than a single 40% alcohol drink.
For safest travels, hire a local teen or young adult at $15 per hour to drive you in your vehicle and wait for you. Text them when you are ready to be picked up. We hire babysitters for our kids when we go out but we don’t hire parent-sitters for us.
CALL OR TEXT (614) 884-1100 OR COMPLETE A CASE EVALUATION FORM
