How To NOT Get A DUI

Getting a DUI is one of the worst pains in the arse one can have thrown into their daily routine. No license, no driving, court dates, attorney fees, having to keep it a secret from family…the list goes on. So how do you NOT get a DUI?

Never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Never drive drunk or buzzed. NEVER DRIVE OR WALK WHILE INTOXICATED.

1. Know How Alcohol Affects Your Body

When you start drinking, your body begins to process the alcohol in your system. It takes time for your body to remove the alcohol from your blood stream. Alcohol in your blood stream is how law enforcement is able to detect that you have been drinking.

The more you drink during an event, night out, party, whatever, the longer it takes for alcohol to leave your body. Most DMVs (Department of Motor Vehicles) will put out a chart that looks like this:

This chart gives you an idea of how long it takes for alcohol to leave your system depending on your weight and height. The only problem with this chart is it’s based on a sample of data and not on your specific body. It turns out, everyone’s body is different and how you process alcohol differs as well. It can also depend on how much you ate that day and a whole host of other factors.

The only thing you can do is test yourself and keep a log of how your body processes alcohol. How do you do that?

2. Get a Breathalyzer

A breathalyzer is an electronic device that can tell you your blood alcohol level (BAC) at specific points in time. If you measure yourself throughout an evening of drinking you can chart your blood alcohol level over time to see how long it takes for you to become sober. You’d also want to include the number of drinks and type of drinks with this data.

I found that I would plateau at a certain point and that plateau of alcohol concentration would stay at the same level for an hour or so. Then, it would drop off over the final hour. But that’s how my body worked at that time of my life. These blood alcohol curves will be different for everyone (and different at different times in their lives).

The best part of the breathalyzer is that you can know that you’re fairly confident that you are no longer over the limit. It doesn’t mean you can’t get a “wet and reckless”, but it’s always nice to know where you’re at without having to guess. And obviously, if you still feel drunk or buzzed and your breathalyzer says you’re at 0.00 blood alcohol level, you should wait to drive until you’re feeling completely sober. It’s possible your breathalyzer is broken or isn’t measuring correctly.

3. Designated Driver

Designated drivers aren’t a bad idea in theory – assuming the designated driver isn’t really going to drink. If you don’t have a designated driver at the end of your night you can always call:

Dryver.com – Dryver’s designated driver solutions provide you with a responsible, sober driver to chauffeur you and your friends to sporting events, bar crawls, concerts, bachelor or bachelorette parties, or any other event requiring a driver.
Yourdriver.com – We all want to have a fun night out without worrying about how we are going to get home safely. Our Private Chauffeurs will be your designated driver and make your safety and well-being their first priority.

*AAA will tow your car for you

Depending on the state you’re in*, AAA (Automobile Association of America) will offer free towing if you’ve had too much to drink during certain holidays. That means you’ll get a ride and your car will too. You can call 1-800-AAA-HELP to schedule this service.

4. Ride Sharing Apps

For certain metropolitan areas, these mobile applications are a Godsend. For instance, if you lived in the Los Angeles area before 2010, you were very dependent on automobiles to get you around to different events, parties, bars, etc. Now with ride sharing applications, you can instantly hail a ride and get taken to any exact location you want to go to. Even if you drove to a bar, you can ride share home and come back to your car the next day.

5. Walk (depending on how much you drink)

Walking is a great way to avoid DUIs and to sober up. However, if you’re really intoxicated, it’s probably best that you stay where you are until you’re sober. Some people that get really drunk can harm themselves walking around drunk (I’ve seen someone walk into the street right at a moment that endangered their life). But if you’re just going out for a couple drinks (and you only end up having a couple of drinks), and you can walk to your destination, that’s usually a good plan.

6. Take Public Transportation

The same applies here as in the previous line item. Public transportation can save your life, other people’s lives and keep you from getting a DUI. Again, if you’re very intoxicated, it’s probably best you stay where you are until you sober up or have a sober person escort you home.

7. Don’t Drink

As I’ve learned over the course of my life, drinking really doesn’t have any benefits. Even the myth that wine is good for your heart and circulatory system, isn’t really based on any great science (and just because one component of something may have a benefit, the other detractors are usually worse).

Drinking can lead to weight gain, destruction of organs (liver, stomach, intestines), cancer, and mental health issues. Once you can learn to live without alcohol, many benefits will arise – it’s actually quite amazing when you finally experience it. Luckily, there’s new generation of self-improvement enthusiasts that are finding this out. And people in those circles are dropping the drinking faster than you can say, “bartender – filler up!”