Excuses To Stop Making for Driving Drunk

Did you know over 15,000 people die in DUI-related crashes in the U.S. every single year?

That’s way, way too many. In fact, DUI driving deaths are one of the most preventable kinds of auto accidents that exist, but far too many drivers are excusing their bad behavior time and time again. Nearly 1.5 million people are arrested for DUI each year and some statistics indicate about 80% of all DUI offenses are committed by less than 5% of the total pool of DUI offenders. That’s staggering.

So, are you making excuses for driving while intoxicated? Are your friends excusing their DUIs? If you’ve thought, said, or heard any of these 19 excuses recently you need to take a good hard look at the danger you’re putting yourself and others in. You’re at risk of causing a terrible accident, injuring someone, or at the very least, an expensive ticket or mandated attendance of a DUI risk reduction program.

1. “I’ve only had two drinks.”
Alcohol affects everyone differently and two drinks today might make you more intoxicated than two drinks did last week. Never, ever guess at your BAC.

2. “I’m not going very far. My house is a mile away!”
Most drunk driving accidents occur within five miles of the driver’s home.

3. “It’s late. There won’t be anyone on the roads so I’ll be fine.”
More than half of all DUI accidents occur on sparsely populated rural roads, and 54% of all drunk driving accidents happen at night.

4. “Cabs are too expensive.”
Think DUIs are cheap? The average DUI for a first-time offender usually costs between $5,000-$11,000.

5. “I actually drive more carefully when I’ve been drinking a little!”
Wrong. Study after study confirms reaction times and depth perception become impaired after as little as one drink.

6. “It’s just me in the car so if I crash, I’ll be responsible for myself. I’d never drive my friends drunk.”
What about all the other people you’re likely to pass on the road? And what would your friends and loved ones think if something happened to you?

7. “It’s been hours since I had those shots. I’m sure I’ve sobered up.”
The body metastasizes liquor at different rates depending on your health, what you’ve eaten, and even whether you’re standing or sitting. There’s no way to reliably tell your BAC without a blood test.

8. “My phone has a BAC calculator on it – it says I should be fine to drive.”
This new excuse is mind boggling. Your phone cannot confirm what your digestive system’s doing!

9. “I’m not the kind of person who gets a DUI. I’ve never been in trouble.”
Are you drinking and driving? Then you’re exactly the kind of person who gets a DUI.

10. “I’ll stay on the phone with my buddy to keep me alert so I’m sure I’ll get home safely.”
Nope. In fact, being on your phone adds just one more distraction to an already-unsafe situation.

11. “The bartender saw me leave. They’d never let me get in my car if they thought I was drunk!”
It’s not the bartender’s responsibility to ensure you don’t drive while intoxicated. They see hundreds of people a night and likely don’t keep tabs on anyone all night long.

12. “I’m on medication that was prescribed by my doctor. I didn’t drink a thing!”
Medications can also impair your driving! All kinds of meds can create hazardous conditions for you on the road if you choose to drive. When in doubt, stay home.

13. “I can’t park my car here overnight or they’ll tow me.”
Seriously? This one’s just lazy. Pay the tow fee, the ticket, or get up early in the morning to come get your car.

14. “I always make it home fine after a few drinks, no problem.”
Well that just means you’re driving drunk often! Every time you drive drunk you’re at about a 1% chance of getting arrested, and that doesn’t count your probability of causing an accident. You can’t outrun probability forever.

15. “I wasn’t drinking, I just smoked a joint.”
Regardless of what state you live in (even if pot is legal!) you cannot drive while impaired by any substance. Marijuana impairment is still impairment.

16. “My kids are in the car. I’d never drive unsafely with them in tow.”
Did you know that 65% of all fatal crashes involving children also involve an impaired driver? Now you do.

17. “I pulled over to sleep it off! I knew I shouldn’t drive so I stopped here, officer.”
Even if you’re just sitting in your car in a parking garage, if it’s on and you’re in the driver’s seat? You can get a DUI.

18. “My friends in the back are drunker than me. I’m the designated driver so I didn’t have much.”
True designated drivers don’t drink at all. Your impairment has nothing to do with anyone else’s impairment.

19. “I can handle my liquor.”
Cops say this is the #1 excuse they get when they stop people for DUIs, typically men. It’s not macho to think you can driver after drinking, it’s just stupid.

If you recognize one or more of these statements as your own you might need counseling for a drug or alcohol issue. At the very least, you owe it to yourself and to everyone else on the road to stop drinking and driving Right. This. Minute.