5 Myths About Drinking and Driving That Could Get You in Trouble
If you’ve been drinking, it’s in your system. End of story.
Some myths are
harmless. Swallowing gum doesn’t trap it in your stomach for seven years.
Cracking your knuckles won’t doom you to arthritis. But when it comes to
drinking and driving? The wrong myth can land you in jail—or worse.
If you’ve ever
thought, I know my limits, or I’ll just take back roads, you might be one bad
decision away from disaster. It’s easy to think you’ve got everything under
control, but impaired driving
counseling can provide a reality check if you're
heading down the wrong path. So, let’s set the record straight before a DUI—or
something worse—does it for you.
1:I Don’t Feel Drunk, So I Must Be
Fine
Your body doesn’t
send out a press release when you're too impaired to drive.
Alcohol is sneaky. It
dulls your ability to judge how intoxicated you actually are. The first thing
it messes with? Your decision-making. So by the time you think you’re sober enough to drive, you’re already compromised.
This is why “I feel
fine” means absolutely nothing.
2:A Little Food, Coffee, or a Cold
Shower Will Sober Me Up
Nope.
You can chug a gallon
of water, devour a burger, and take an ice-cold shower—you’ll still be over the
limit if you were before.
Here’s why: your
liver processes alcohol at a fixed rate, about one drink per hour. Nothing
speeds that up. Nothing slows it down. Until time does its job, you’re still
impaired.
3:I’ll Just Refuse the
Breathalyzer—They Can’t Prove Anything
Ah, the classic “if I
don’t play, I can’t lose” strategy.
Refusing a
breathalyzer doesn’t mean you walk away scot-free. In many states, refusal
leads to an automatic license suspension, hefty fines, and sometimes even jail.
In some places, the punishment for refusing is worse than the penalty for
failing.
Not exactly the
loophole you were hoping for.
4:I Can Trick the Test
Got mints? Mouthwash?
A penny under your tongue? Think again.
Breathalyzers don’t
just measure what’s on your breath. They detect alcohol deep in your lungs. So
no, gargling mouthwash (which often contains alcohol anyway) won’t save you.
Neither will eating an onion, holding your breath, or praying to the gods of
loopholes.
Here are some common
(and completely useless) tricks people try:
● Sucking on a penny
– Total myth. Copper doesn’t affect blood alcohol levels.
● Chewing gum or mints
– Might freshen your breath, but won’t fool science.
● Drinking water
– Hydration is great, but it won’t lower your BAC.
● Hyperventilating
before the test – Al
● l
that effort for… nothing.
● Holding
your breath – Actually increases the alcohol
concentration in your breath.
5:I’ve Driven Drunk Before and
Nothing Happened
Congratulations. You
gambled and didn’t crash. That doesn’t mean the odds are in your favor next
time.
Every drunk driver
who gets caught—or worse, causes an accident—probably thought they were in
control, too. Just because you got lucky once doesn’t mean you’re suddenly
immune to reality.
And reality? It
catches up eventually.
Conclusion
Drinking and driving isn't about confidence, tricks, or loopholes. It's about science. Experts at APPLIED BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES. LCSW, PC point out that alcohol impairs, no matter how much you think you're in control.
So next time you're tempted to get behind the wheel after a few drinks, ask yourself: is it really worth the risk? Because the road doesn't care about myths. It only deals with consequences.
