Driving while intoxicated! Explaining DWI’s

Driving while intoxicated, its not something to mess with. So, what exactly is a DWI? How much alcohol is too much alcohol? Let us explain.

In the state of Texas, if you are pulled over with a blood alcohol level (or BAC for short) of over 0.08 it is considered over the legal limit. For people under the age of 21, Texas has a no tolerance law. This means, you can not have any alcohol in your system while behind the wheel. Texas defines a DWI as “operating” a vehicle while impaired. This means you do not technically have to be driving to be convicted. Operating can just mean you have the intent to drive impaired.

Unsure of what your BAC is before getting behind the wheel? Think of it as every one drink you have is raising your BAC 0.02. In this scenario one drink is explained as the following:

12 fl oz of beer (5 percent alcohol by volume).
8 to 9 fl oz of malt liquor (7 percent alcohol by volume).
5 fl oz of wine (12 percent alcohol by volume).
1.5 fl oz of distilled spirits/liquor (40 percent alcohol by volume).

It is important to know that alcohol is different for everyone. Two drinks to a person that is 6’1 will normally not be the same as two drinks for someone who is 5’1. Eating before alcohol has also been proven to increase tolerance. In this case, never go off this standard method to determine is you are below the legal limit. For a more in depth way to calculate you BAC you can also use one of these friendly calculators here.

We always recommend setting a sober ride up in advance any time you plan on drinking.Trust us you do not want to get a ticket for driving while intoxicated. Even if you only plan on having one drink. Have a friend dedicated to staying sober for the night. You can also use a ride share app like Lyft or Uber. You can even use the classic yellow taxi cab. Any way you decide.

With a DWI comes fee’s that we cannot help you with. There is no online course to help erase that ticket. The average cost of a DWI is around $15,000. Yes you read that right. It comes with court fess, lawyer fees and a possible license suspension. Something most of us cannot not afford. In no way is getting behind the wheel after consuming alcohol worth what it can take. Paying for a ride home will always be cheaper than a DWI. We promise.

As always, have a great week from us at Comedy Defensive Driving. Make sure to stay safe.

Taylor C.

Taylor has been with our company for almost 10 years. She is our weekly blog writer and also runs all of our social media. We love her the most out of all of our employees but don't tell them that.