With the start of the baseball season comes the chance to have fun and cheer on the St. Louis Cardinals. If you are planning on attending a Cardinals game soon and drinking alcohol while you are there, be sure to exercise caution. Drinking a little with your friends at the game is great, but if you are not careful, you could end up with a DWI charge with serious consequences.
Measuring blood alcohol levels after baseball games
Research conducted by the University of Minnesota found that 40 percent of attendees leaving baseball and football games had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) between 0.005 to 0.217. The BAC levels were higher among adults younger than 35 and those who tailgated before the game. Whether you are drinking with friends before or during the game, you could be getting closer to a dangerous BAC than you think.
BAC limits
If you have a BAC of 0.08 percent, you can be convicted of a DWI regardless of your driving behavior. You may also face enhanced penalties if you have a BAC of 0.15 percent or higher. If you are caught driving with a high BAC, you could be facing serious fines, jail time and an automatic suspension of your driver license. If it is your first DWI offense, you might be able to receive restricted driving privileges if you get an ignition interlock device installed.
Refusing the test
With all of these penalties for DWI charges, you might think you can refuse an alcohol test if you get pulled over. While you are allowed to refuse the test, you could lose your license for one year with a 15-day driving permit. With the right legal counsel and defense strategies, you could potentially extend your permit or get your license back sooner.
If you get pulled over after drinking at the game, contact a DWI defense attorney as soon as possible.