The unofficial beginning of summer starts Memorial Day weekend. It’s a commemorative and lovely holiday. Three days off thanks to the recognition of those that fought for our Country. Banks, the government and most offices are closed on Monday. Some people have the luxury of starting early. They take their PTO (Paid Time Off) a few days before the close of business on Friday.
Let’s create a scenario you may have experienced or find yourself in from this story.
You and your co-workers or friends decide to go out for a drink after work. You leave the office, get in your car sober and so do they with plans to hit up the favorite local restaurant. It’s a beautiful day, and you all choose to sit on the outdoor patio. Your server approaches you and the first round of drinks are ordered. Maybe it’s a nice cold glass of white wine or soothing red wine. Not a wine drinker? That’s fine. Have a beer, martini, cosmopolitan, let’s call it a mixed drink. Often provided at the time you sit down are menus placed in front of you all. But the adult beverages always come first by your server, and menus are left for you all to peruse for nibbles or light bites. Chitter chatter begins, and no one has yet decided on a bite to eat. We’ll even bet it’s likely you also have that drink on an empty stomach at 5:30 pm or earlier. After the first few sips, you start to feel a lightness and comfortability in your body — a warmth of calmness. When the server returns, you all order yet another round plus maybe the flatbread pizza, sashimi tuna platter or something light because you’re also watching your weight. And you’re sharing.
An hour has gone by, and you’re about two drinks in and maybe a forkful or two of the delicious food you’re enjoying. Watching the clock, you know you need to get home to the kids. Not married or no children? Doesn’t matter, you leave eventually. Let’s guess it’s about 2 hours and you’ve had how many drinks? Two or three? Maybe more. But you feel and believe you are fine. Afterall, you did eat some appetizers or shared a pizza.
In truth, you are going home in your car. You will be driving because you don’t feel drunk. But did you know it’s possible you’re also not sober in the eyes of the law? Does a rational thought come to mind, or are you even considering your BAC? Do you know what BAC is?
First and foremost, you must understand the acronym of BAC. It is the Blood Alcohol Concentration or Content in your body taken by a police officer that may find you impaired while operating a motor vehicle. BAC is the metric used to measure the amount of alcohol intoxication for legal or medical purposes in the United States. BAC is expressed as a percentage of alcohol in the blood. We won’t even discuss if you’re taking any controlled substances or something as simple as an anti-depressant — a mood stabilizer. What about medical marijuana?
Here’s the deal, in the state of PA and across the country, you are DUI (Driving Under the Influence) or DWI (Driving While Intoxicated) with a BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) of a .08. Meaning if stopped and tested, you’re driving under the influence. Bam, it’s a DUI or DWI. Maybe you get into a car accident that wasn’t even your fault, or you unknowingly drive through a checkpoint, and the police pull you over and ask if you’ve been drinking. You admit yes, you had a couple of drinks. Again, you’re not drunk in your own eyes. But in the eyes of the law, you are intoxicated. WHY? Because you’ve ingested enough alcohol within a specific time frame and during that time your body hasn’t yet metabolized appropriately in your system to bring the BAC level below .08.
The arrest process begins, and you are panicked. What do you do and what are you thinking? First, you figure you’re going to lose your driver’s license. You think about your job and your family. It’s hard to think clearly when you feel out of control. An arrest is out of control. To make matters even more complicated, this is your first offense. What are the laws so you’re protected?
That’s an excellent question and why we wrote this short story, a familiar story. We’ve heard it countless times. While we don’t condone drinking and driving at the Law Offices of Edwin L. Guyer, we also know the law that is established for both you and the protection of others.
We’re going to make a few suggestions.
- Don’t wait until it’s too late. Put our contact information into your phone right now. That’s right, add Ed Guyer Law, DUI, 215.542.9333
- Keep reading our more info page on the DUI and arrest process
- Send us your email contact information from our home page www.edguyerlawyer.com and we’ll send you updates when we post new information.
Please enjoy your Holiday this weekend and be safe. But know this: We can help you should you find yourself in an uncomfortable albeit sticky legal situation. We’ve helped many others and know with the right attorney and exceptional staff involved; our offices can help to mitigate the penalties. Ed Guyer has over 30 years of experience in this industry. Turn to the attorney with the knowledge you need to protect your driving privilege’s now or in the future. If you don’t consume alcohol follow our guidelines anyway for someone else that does.
