Last Call for Alcohol – the drink that may get you arrested.
Over the course of my careers as police lieutenant and an attorney, I have spoken and dealt with hundreds of people charged with DWI. A common theme is the individual is getting ready to leave the bar or friends house to drive home and the “last call” is made and that individual has just one more drink. They believe they feel fine, and can have one more before they hit the road. The problem is that by the time that last drink is absorbed into their system, they are now driving down the road. They now feel the effect of the alcohol and catch themselves weaving, making driving mistakes they would never normally make.
New Jersey does not allow what is referred to as a “Safe Haven” for driving while intoxicated, meaning that if you are driving home and you start to feel the effects of the alcohol, you can pull off to the side of the road and sleep it off or call for a sober driver to come get you. In New Jersey, once you demonstrate intent to operate a motor vehicle, you cannot reverse it by pulling into a rest stop or the side of the road. If an officer comes in contact with you within a reasonable period of time from when you were actually operating the vehicle and they can proof it, you can be charged with DWI if you demonstrate signs of intoxication.
As you can see from my prior post containing the blood alcohol charts for men and women, 1 more drink can quickly move you into the Per Se category (.08% BAC or higher) of driving while intoxicated and definitely place you into the Buzzed driver group. Both of which expose you to the possibility of being arrested for DWI and/or injuring others including yourself.
Many of those people I have encountered over my careers regretted having that last call drink. Food for thought.