Mississippi Criminal Law BlogEvery year, it seems like the annual St. Patrick’s Day party gets bigger, more fun, and even more wild than the year before. Millions of Americans enjoy celebrating Irish heritage, Catholic traditions, and green beer every March. It can be a lot of fun, but sometimes those emerald lagers can turn into clover-shaped, beer-tinted glasses that prevent you from driving safely.
At the Carmody Law Firm, we hope that anyone who gets behind the wheel is sober so that the road is safe for everyone. However, if you do get pulled over and are accused of drunk driving in Mississippi, we’re prepared to defend you.
Hal’s St. Paddy’s Parade and Festival
On Saturday, March 25, thousands of people are expected to turn up for annual festivities like Hal’s St. Paddy’s Parade and Festival. Sometimes, these events mix family fun like wearing green and listening to bagpipes, with binge drinking. That tendency among a few Americans, some of the approximately 27 percent of the population who celebrate at a bar or restaurant, has led police departments to step up enforcement of drunk driving laws on the holiday.
How Much Do American’s Drink on St. Patrick’s Day?
According to Fortune Magazine, 13 million pints of Guinness are consumed on St. Patrick’s Day worldwide, much of it in the United States. That’s a whole lot of suds. Most adults can drink a beer an hour and process it safely, but St. Patrick’s Day is a holiday where many people drink more than they can handle.
The national legal limit is 0.08 percent blood alcohol concentration (BAC). A couple of green beers, a pint of Guinness, or a shot of whiskey may seem like nothing, but it can push you over the limit and affect your ability to drive safely.
Drinking and Driving Alternatives
You don’t need to risk drunk driving on St. Patrick’s Day to have fun. Instead, consider these drinking and driving alternatives:
- Celebrating at home. You can invite friends over within walking distance or make space for people to stay until they’re sober.
- Using a rideshare service. Services like Lyft and Uber provide an option for you to get home safely after you’ve been drinking and can be more convenient than taxis.
- Walking. Walking home after a few green beers is safer than putting yourself behind the wheel of a car.
- A designated driver who will consume absolutely no alcohol. Having a DD makes your night fun and safe. Your friend group might want to set up a rotation so that everyone shares the responsibility on different nights out.
Can I Drive If I Had a Drink and I Don’t Feel Drunk?
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reminds us that buzzed driving is drunk driving. It’s important to remember that even BAC levels lower than the legal limit could affect your fine motor skills, concentration, response time, and vision.
Some of those low-level symptoms could cause authorities to suspect that you’re above the limit. That’s why sober driving is really the only safe driving. Many Mississippi buzzed driving DUI recipients have discovered that what they feel and what the law says are two separate things. To avoid having to call a DUI lawyer, it’s best to not drink at all if you’re driving.
Enlist the Help of a Qualified DUI Attorney
When you are searching the state of Mississippi for a qualified, experienced DUI defense attorney, look no further than Vic Carmody Jr., P.A. No matter the circumstances of your case, the sooner you get in touch with a qualified DUI defense attorney, the better chance you have for a favorable outcome. Over the years, we have helped countless defendants who have been charged with DUI’s. Please call us for a free consultation today, and we can help you defend yourself when you are arrested and charged with a DUI in Mississippi.
Please also see us on mississippi-lawyers.com and view our reviews on avvo.com, superlawyers.com, and martindale.com. Our email address is vic@mississippi-lawyers.com, and our office phone number is (601) 948 – 4444 option 1.