You Can’t Sober Up While You Drive – Period

Everyone has tricks for getting over a hangover or sobering up quickly. Coconut water may do the trick. Coffee. Drinking water in between alcoholic beverages. An Aspirin before bed.

There are tons of old wives’ tales and myths out there about what you can to do keep your faculties while drinking and feel better faster. The problem with them is that they are exactly as advertised – old wives’ tales and myths. Once you start drinking, there’s only one thing that will enable you to sober up or get over your hangover: removing the alcohol from your system.

This means giving your liver the time it needs to process that alcohol. Medically speaking, nothing else works. Coffee won’t “balance out” your drunkenness. Eating after you’re already drunk won’t “soak up” the alcohol.

If only someone had explained that to Katherine Muhlenbruc, perhaps she wouldn’t be facing drunk driving charges.

Franklin Park Woman Arrested for Drunk Driving, Claims She Would Have “Sobered Up” If She Wasn’t Pulled Over

Ms. Muhlenbruc, 25, was at a bar in Darien in late January. After having three Sex on the Beach drinks, she decided to drive to White Castle and was promptly pulled over for driving erratically. When officers tested her, she failed six roadside sobriety tests and chemical tests showed she had a BAC of .15 – almost twice the legal limit.

Despite this, Muhlenbruc tried to explain her behavior and driving to officers by telling them that if she hadn’t been pulled over, she would have sobered up eventually.

While her statement is technically true – after all, as mentioned above, time is the only thing that actually can get you sober – using that as an argument against her charge probably wasn’t a good idea. Essentially, she admitted to driving under the influence of alcohol. Which is a crime.

Ways to Prevent Getting Charged with a DUI

Why did Muhlenbruc decide to drive her car after drinking?

According to her statements to police, she said she didn’t feel that drunk – even after a few drinks. Maybe Muhlenbruc was concerned about towing fees, parking tickets, or finding a ride home for the night. Perhaps she was just hungry.

Whatever her reasons, many of you out there may be able to relate. The simple truth is that it’s hard to make smart decisions about driving after you’ve already had a few drinks.

The best way to make sure you don’t end up with a DUI charge after a night of drinking is to plan ahead. Here are some things you can do:

Get a BAC calculator or Smartphone Breathalyzer: Do you know when your BAC hits .08? Maybe you think you have a pretty good idea of you “limit,” but the truth is that no one can tell on their own. Your BAC will vary based on your weight, gender, the amount and type of food in your stomach, and more.

If you’re ever unsure of whether or not it’s safe to drive, consider downloading a smartphone app that will predict your BAC, or even buying a breathalyzer for your smartphone. These tools, while not always accurate 100% of the time, can help you decide whether or not it’s ok to drive.

Carpool with a Designated Driver: If you’re meeting friends who live nearby, it’s worth the extra time to all pile into one car and barhop. This way, you can assign a designated driver who will ensure that you and your friends get home safe – and without charges – at the end of the night.

Crash with a Friend: Whether you are staying at your DD’s house or need to call a buddy who lives near the bar, you can always stay with a nearby friend and sober up without getting behind the wheel.

Call an Uber: Even if you live outside Chicago and don’t have access to public transportation, there are ways for you to get home without driving your car. Call a taxi, an Uber or Lyft, or (as mentioned above) phone a friend. 

Being Charged with a DUI Is Not the Same as a Conviction

The above advice is helpful to avoid getting a charge in the first place, but what if you’re already facing one? Is it a foregone conclusion that you will be convicted?

Not necessarily. There are all kinds of defense strategies that a skilled DUI attorney can use to fight your charges. With the right strategy and a lawyer that knows what he or she is doing, you may be able to reduce the consequences that you face or even get your charges dropped or dismissed.

Sobriety tests can be thrown out. Breathalyzers can produce incorrect results. Officers can fail to follow proper protocols.

If you are facing a DUI conviction, don’t just accept the penalties lying down. Get in touch with an experienced criminal lawyer immediately to defend yourself and your future.

About the Author

Sami Azhari has been working as a lawyer since 2007, after receiving his Juris Doctor from the Michigan State University College of Law. He has handled numerous state and federal cases, and is known throughout the Chicago and Rolling Meadows area for providing his clients with high-quality, skilled representation. He has been recognized by SuperLawyers, the National Trial Lawyers Association, and other notable organizations, and has spoken at a number of legal conferences.