Don't let the Super Bowl lead you to a Super Mistake

The Super Bowl is always one of the biggest party occassions of the year. Unfortunately, it is also one of the biggest days for DUI arrests. Don't become a 2012 statistic Sunday night. I know the Giants being in the Super Bowl will drive anyone to heavy drinking but if you are driving tomorrow night, keep in mind that the law enforcement officials will be be looking for you. Sorry Giant fans I am a disgruntled Redskins fan. Here are some thoughts to keep in mind if you are drinking alcohol tomorrow night and plan to drive home:

1. Every drink you consume adds .02 to your BAC (Blood Alcohol Concentration). It doesn't matter if your drink of choice is beer, wine, or liquor.
2. Your body metabolizes (gets rid of) .015 BAC per hour.
3. The rate at which your body metabolizes is based on the passage of time and nothing else.
4. If you consume 3 drinks the first hour you are there you are already close to a .06. Keep in mind that in a lot of states .08 is the point at which will get you arrested for a DUI. If you drop back to 2 drinks for the next 2 or 3 hours you could easily reach a .15 or higher. For people accustomed to regular drinking, you will not realize you are reaching this point. If you are convicted of a DUI at a .15, you will lose your license for 1 year, an ignition interlock system will have to be installed on every vehicle registered in your name, and you will spend a mandatory 5 days in jail.
5. Even if you are smart enough not to drive home, you may still be over the legal limit Monday morning when you get in your car to drive to work. This is especially true if you continue to drink until 1:00 or 2:00 am.
6. If you have had a hard night of drinking, just assume you are at a .2 BAC when you stop drinking. Simply subtract .015 per hour since your last drink from .2 and that will give you your BAC at a given passage of time. As I said in my previous blog this is a risky numbers game. The best course of action is to have a designated driver or cab and then make certain you are sober enough in the morning to drive.

Enjoy the game.