The holiday season is full of celebrations. If you have an office holiday party, or you and your fellow service members decide to head off base at Fort Gordon for a night out on the town in Augusta, you need to realize that police increase DUI patrols this time of year, particularly on the weekends before Christmas and between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day.
That’s because many holiday gatherings include more than enough alcohol for anyone driving to reach the .08 blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit and become a danger on Georgia roads. Sadly, according to the CDC, about 25,000 of auto accident injuries in the United States are the result of alcohol-related crashes between Thanksgiving and New Year’s.
How much can you drink and not get .08?
If you are at a holiday party and drink, you may wonder how much alcohol you can have and not reach .08 BAC. Here are some general guidelines on that:
- If you weigh 140 pounds, you can’t have more than four alcoholic drinks in an hour.
- If you weigh 180 pounds, you can’t have more than five alcoholic drinks in an hour.
- If you weigh 220 pounds, you can’t have more than six alcoholic drinks in an hour.
Keep in mind, though, that eating food can help you avoid becoming drunk. Yet if you are on any prescription medication that makes you tired, that could impact how impaired you are. It’s always better to pace out your drinks throughout the evening, limit it to three, and wait more than an hour to leave a party after drinking.
Better alternatives to drinking and driving
The best bet when going out with friends to celebrate during the holiday season is to have a designated driver, someone who is not drinking at all and can drive everyone home safely. Or you always can call for an Uber, Lyft or taxi ride. If you and your friends can share a ride, it will cost very little—much less than a fine for a DUI.
You don’t want to face possible jail time, license suspension, a fine and more with a DUI conviction. If you are a service member, a DUI can impact your career seriously. You can face demotion, restrict your chances at future promotions and even face a dishonorable discharge. It’s far better to not take your chances at facing such consequences and avoid drinking and driving entirely.