In many states, including Wisconsin and Ohio, DWI laws include "buzzed" driving as drunk driving. If you are just "buzzed," that is, you have had a couple of drinks, and you are not drunk but your head is feeling light and airy, you are still under the influence of alcohol. Here is why these states consider buzzed drinking a first-time offense for DWI, and how your DWI lawyer can help:
Your Inhibitions Are Lowered
All it takes is one to two drinks before you inhibitions are lowered. There is a part of your brain that controls inhibition, that sense of self-constraint that restrains you from doing things you would not normally do. When your inhibitions are lowered, you do not make good or smart choices, and then you end up driving and hitting things or driving too fast.
Your Reaction Time Is Slower
Without a doubt, even buzzed your reaction time is slower than it would be had you had nothing to drink at all. When you are driving, you cannot miss that deer or that pedestrian that runs out in front of your vehicle because your brain is still trying to signal your hands and arms to move. Hence, you could still do some damage if you just bump the deer or the pedestrian.
You Are Much More Easily Distracted
While your brain is taking a calming, fizzy soak in alcohol, you are thinking about all kinds of stuff. Pretty soon, your mind wanders, and you really are not paying attention to the road. That is the exact moment you veer one direction or the other, and either hit something or land in a ditch. If you are lucky, you end up in a ditch from which you can drive your car out. If you are very unlucky, you hit a car full of people and shove them off the road and down into a ravine. Either way, your buzzing, distracted brain is to blame.
What Your Lawyer Can Do
Buzzed drinking is an offense, but at least it is a minor offense. Your lawyer might be able to request that you have a breathalyzer installed in your vehicle so that you can see your BAC (blood alcohol content) before you attempt to drive. You may also attend an alcohol training session that helps you understand more about buzzed driving, its effects on your brain and body, and why it is punishable by law. These measures may sway the judge from giving you a stiffer punishment.
