People who regularly enjoy alcohol may underestimate the level of their intoxication. Many people develop a tolerance for alcohol. They may feel and look less impaired than others might be after drinking the same amount. However, their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) could still be over the legal limit, which leaves them at risk of driving while intoxicated (DWI) charges.
Drivers may try to protect themselves from DWI charges by carrying personal breath test devices. Other times, they might use a device at a bar or restaurant. Unfortunately, it is possible for an individual to pass a test after they finish drinking, only to fail one later during a traffic stop. The reason that they might fail a subsequent test is that their bodies continue to absorb alcohol for some time after they finish drinking.
BACs continue to rise after people stop drinking
The body does not instantaneously digest what people consume. While alcohol can sometimes reach the bloodstream more quickly in certain circumstances, it often takes time for their BAC to reflect they’re drinking. For those drinking on an empty stomach, for example, the effects of alcohol can be felt within minutes in many cases.
Frequently, a person’s BAC can continue to rise for an hour or longer after they finish drinking. Factors including their resting metabolic rate, their weight, the amount of alcohol they consumed and what they ate earlier in the day can impact how quickly alcohol reaches their bloodstream and affects their BAC.
People hoping to make safe choices often need to give themselves time after they finish drinking before trying to perform a test. Waiting half an hour or longer after finishing a final drink can help people obtain more accurate test results. If a chemical test might be the deciding factor about whether someone drives home or not, then ensuring the test results are accurate is of the utmost importance. Small oversights can result in people getting arrested for a DWI offense.
Those facing DWI charges may need help finding the best response available, and that’s okay. Evaluating the choices made before a DWI arrest can often provide the basis for a defense strategy. Drivers who seek out legal support as soon as possible are generally in the best position to respond to the charges against them.
