Like many people, you might enjoy heading out to a bar or club to have some alcoholic drinks and let off a little steam. You might not make any plans to get a taxi or have someone drive you home because you're sure you can handle driving home, but the police are out on the roads looking for people who are drinking and driving. You may not think you'll have a problem, but you need to consider the following things before you drive home intoxicated.

You Might Be Over the Legal Limit Even if You Feel Fine

Once you start drinking, your ability to make rational decisions starts to decrease. You might "feel fine" after a few drinks, but that doesn't mean you should get into a car. You might have a high alcohol tolerance, but your state's laws may mean that even one or two drinks will put you over the legal limit to drive. Because there's not a way to "feel" whether you're over that legal limit, the only way to be sure you won't have a problem with the police on the road is to arrange alternate transportation for yourself on a night you've been drinking.

Attempts to Delay or Refuse Tests Might Fail

You might think you have the right to refuse any field tests that the police want you to take, thinking that refusal will protect you from an arrest. In fact, depending on the state you live in, the very act of receiving your license serves as agreement to undergo these kinds of tests when you are on the road. If you refuse to go through with them, you might find yourself with a suspended license and unable to drive altogether, regardless of whether you are actually taken into custody for drinking and driving.

If you have failed a field sobriety test and the police are planning to administer a breathalyzer test, you might think that you'll just delay testing as long as you can so that you have a chance to sober up a little. However, it is not only unlikely that your blood alcohol level will decrease quickly enough, but the police can still arrest you based on your actions and behavior on the scene. If they feel there is good reason to bring you into the station, they can do so whether you fail a breathalyzer test or not.

Drinking and driving is a serious offense with serious consequences. If you get into a car after you have had alcohol and find yourself in trouble, call a DUI lawyer like Eaby Firm LLC who can help you deal with the legal ramifications.