Legal Limit
It is true that it is not a crime to drive an automobile on a public highway after having consumed alcohol. Thousands of California citizens drive their cars after having had something to drink at a social function or gathering, including the holidays. However, driving a car after consuming alcohol may affect your ability to drive safely and may place you in great risk of being arrested for DUI. This is particularly true when it does not take very much to be considered legally drunk! It is a crime to drive an automobile on the public highways of the state of Washington with an alcohol concentration at or above the legal limit. The legal limit in California is "0.08." This is a very low standard, considering that the average person can reach the legal limit with only a couple of drinks. For example, two (2) pints of beer at the local pub within one hour may be enough to get a 200-pound male to reach the legal limit. Similarly, two (2) glasses of wine within one hour may be enough to get a 120-pound woman to reach the legal limit. Moreover, according to many forensic scientists, a person may feel the effects of alcohol, such that his or her ability to drive safely may be impaired, at levels below the legal limit, such as "0.05" or "0.06." You must keep in mind that you can be arrested for and convicted of DUI at an alcohol concentration below the legal limit, as long as the prosecution can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that your ability to drive was affected to ANY appreciable degree. You should also keep in mind that many individuals may not appear to be affected by alcohol at the legal limit. You may be functioning perfectly well, although under California law you are legally drunk. If you plan to drink, your best course of action is to have a designated driver.
It is true that it is not a crime to drive an automobile on a public highway after having consumed alcohol. Thousands of California citizens drive their cars after having had something to drink at a social function or gathering, including the holidays. However, driving a car after consuming alcohol may affect your ability to drive safely and may place you in great risk of being arrested for DUI. This is particularly true when it does not take very much to be considered legally drunk! It is a crime to drive an automobile on the public highways of the state of Washington with an alcohol concentration at or above the legal limit. The legal limit in California is "0.08." This is a very low standard, considering that the average person can reach the legal limit with only a couple of drinks. For example, two (2) pints of beer at the local pub within one hour may be enough to get a 200-pound male to reach the legal limit. Similarly, two (2) glasses of wine within one hour may be enough to get a 120-pound woman to reach the legal limit. Moreover, according to many forensic scientists, a person may feel the effects of alcohol, such that his or her ability to drive safely may be impaired, at levels below the legal limit, such as "0.05" or "0.06." You must keep in mind that you can be arrested for and convicted of DUI at an alcohol concentration below the legal limit, as long as the prosecution can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that your ability to drive was affected to ANY appreciable degree. You should also keep in mind that many individuals may not appear to be affected by alcohol at the legal limit. You may be functioning perfectly well, although under California law you are legally drunk. If you plan to drink, your best course of action is to have a designated driver.