People often wonder how many alcoholic beverages they can consume before they will be considered “DUI” in Georgia. The short answer is that even one drink can result in a DUI. In order to charge you with a DUI, a police officer only has to believe that you are under the influence of alcohol to the extent that you are a “less safe” driver. Under this standard, you could have only one beer and still be charged with DUI based on the smell of alcohol on your breath, or even just for having glassy and bloodshot eyes.
In order to have a blood alcohol content of .08 or higher, the general rule is that if you weigh 160 lbs., it will take three drinks (a drink being one shot of liquor or one 12 oz. beer) for you to be over the limit. If you weigh 180 lbs., it generally takes four alcoholic drinks. If you weigh 200 lbs., you would exceed the legal limit after five drinks. These are only general guidelines, however, and assume that a person only has one drink per hour.
The bottom line is that you can be charged with a DUI even if you have not had enough to drink for your blood alcohol level to be .08 or higher. If you are charged with a DUI, you need an experienced criminal lawyer that will fight for you. Give us a call for a free evaluation of your case.