You know that getting charged with a DUI can bring about serious consequences, including financial fines, potential incarceration and the suspension of your driver’s license. As a result, you are always looking for ways to ensure that you are sober and clearheaded before you get behind the wheel.
You may have heard that one option is to drink coffee before you drive. Say that you are out with friends and you have a few drinks. Instead of immediately driving home, if you get a cup of coffee first, it can sober you up so that you avoid DUI charges. Will this actually work?
Coffee does not reduce your blood alcohol concentration
No. It is important to know that this does not work because it is an oft-repeated myth. Many people think that coffee can sober them up, but the truth is that it does not actually reduce your blood alcohol concentration (BAC). In other words, if you take a breath test after a traffic stop, your BAC could still be over the legal limit, whether or not you had coffee.
Only one thing can actually bring your BAC down, and that is time. It tends to drop very slowly, at around 0.015% per hour.
So why do so many people think coffee can help? It is likely because the caffeine wakes you up. Drinking can make you feel fatigued, and coffee can counter this and help you feel alert. But that does not mean it reduces your BAC under the legal limit.
Legal defense options
Have you been arrested on drunk driving charges, and are you concerned about the impact on your future? If so, take the time to carefully look into all of the legal defense options at your disposal.