Many people get arrested for driving while intoxicated (DWI) offenses on their way home from a raucous party, concert or ball game. They knew they may have had too much to drink but took the risk anyway. If they cross paths with a police officer on the way home, then they could be at risk of arrest and prosecution.
Most people assume that the risk is over once they reach their homes safely. Many people even avoid driving home because they don’t want to break the law or endanger anyone. They then go on with their lives the next day, only to end up arrested during their morning commute to work. Those who had a substantial amount of alcohol the previous night could potentially be vulnerable to DWI charges the following day.
Metabolizing alcohol takes time
The simple explanation for why people face DWI charges the day after they drink is that the body can only metabolize so much alcohol at once. In general, people can break down and process one drink’s worth of alcohol per hour.
People who drink far more than enough to experience impairment and who stay out until the bar closes might not technically be fully sober when they wake up in the morning. They may feel far better than they did the night before, but they could still be over the legal limit.
People driving the day after they drink are potentially at risk of DWI charges. Even if they have no signs of current impairment at the time of police officer arrests them, failing a chemical test can be an adequate reason for the state to pursue charges all on its own. Those accused of a day-after DWI offense may need help planning a reasonable defense strategy.
The best DWI defense options depend on the circumstances of a traffic stop, the criminal record of the motorist at issue and even their medical history. Discussing what led to a DWI arrest with a skilled legal team could help a motorist avoid a conviction that could cost them their license and show up during background checks for the rest of their life. Those who fight DWI charges can sometimes minimize the impact a recent arrest inspires.