Are you visiting Texas for the biggest sports event of the year: Super Bowl LI in Houston? Everyone who loves football will want to be there, and just about everyone who makes it to NRG Stadium will participate in a tailgate or enjoy some brews in the stands. Texas law enforcement know this and will certainly be looking for intoxicated drivers to slam with DWI (driving while intoxicated) charges. People with out-of-state plates who came to Texas just for the game will stand out even more and could be targeted by highway patrol.
If you want to stay out of jail and on the road home after the Super Bowl ends, remember these tips:
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Designated driver: The oldest trick in the playbook to avoid a DWI is to assign a designated driver (DD) for the day and insist they keep their lips dry throughout the game. If attending major sporting events is a regular thing for you and your friends, consider who hasn’t driven to and from in a while.
Or, if you came from out-of-state, make whoever drove the least on the way here the DD for the first leg of the journey back. - Ridesharing apps: Say what you want about our society’s newfound obsession with smartphones, but there is no device more important and irreplaceable, especially when it comes to preventing a DWI arrest. After the Super Bowl, drivers from Uber and other ridesharing apps are sure to be out in droves, a regular convoy of taxis and taxi-like services. If no one in your party is safe to drive, use your smartphone to summon a driver who is.
- One-hour rule: The average person takes one hour to metabolize the alcohol of one beer or one shot of hard liquor. For every drink you consume at the Super Bowl tailgate, you should wait one hour at least to sober up. The average American football game can take anywhere between 3 to 4 hours to complete, so if you’re drinking before the game, you should cut yourself off at three to be safer. Remember to eat food and drink water as well to help handle the effects of alcohol and never try to drive if you’re feeling buzzed, tipsy, or drunk. It just isn’t worth the risk.
People who have come from other states to watch the Super Bowl have a long drive ahead of them on the way home. But that doesn’t mean that waiting to be sober before driving should be rushed. If you get behind the wheel before you are sober, you endanger yourself, your passengers, and other drivers around you. Not to mention that Texas State highway patrol officers will seek you out, pull you over, and slam you with an out-of-state DWI charge, which can be considerably more complicated to handle than the typical DWI.
How to Defend Against an Out-of-State DWI
Sometimes the best laid plans don’t come to fruition, though, and you might find yourself roadside talking with a police officer after leaving NRG Stadium. If you get pegged for a DWI in Texas, Houston DWI defense attorney Tyler Flood can help defend you from the harsh consequences.
Our law firm accepts cases all around the state, from Dallas to San Antonio to Amarillo; no matter which highway takes you home after the Super Bowl, we can provide the trusted, trial-tested defense you need more than ever before.
Talk to our Board Certified Criminal Defense attorney by calling or contacting us online today.
