Sleep is often touted as a miracle cure when you’ve been drinking. People tell others to go home and sleep it off. Or people believe they will be fine for the morning as long as they get six hours of shut-eye.
While you will hopefully feel better the next morning after drinking the night before, it does not necessarily mean you are safe to drive.
Alcohol takes time to leave your system
You risk three things occurring if you jump in the car the morning after a heavy night:
- You crash because the alcohol is still affecting your driving.
- You struggle to claim compensation in a crash because the alcohol in your system makes it easier for the other driver to blame the collision on you.
- You get a DUI, regardless of whether you crash or not.
The police often test those in a crash for alcohol. Yet they also stop people for other reasons, such as failing to stop at a light, exceeding the speed limit, or having a broken taillight. If they think you smell of alcohol or seem hungover, they may ask you to take a breathalyzer test, leading to a DUI.
The police could also set up a morning DUI checkpoint to catch anyone over the limit from the night before.
While a judge won’t let you off a DUI because you tried to sleep the alcohol off, they may treat you more favorably than if you drove immediately after drinking. You may, however, be able to escape a conviction altogether by understanding all the DUI defense options available.
