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Sunday, December 25, 2011
By Michael Nichols
Categories: Drunk-Driving
“Beer is good” says it all. It is a statement that adorns signage on many a home bar and is muttered at many holiday gatherings. “It is great to toast the holidays or ring in the new year as long as you use caution and remember some simple things if you are driving,” says OWI-DUI-OUIL Michigan expert Mike Nichols. “You have to know your limit but remember that even your own understanding of how much you can handle is limited when it comes to alcohol consumption,” Nichols added.
The amount of alcohol content from brand to brand will vary when it comes to beer. Remember, not all beers are equal. The same can be said for wine and spirits. Nichols said, “What that means is 2 beers at 8.5% will have a much different impact on your impairment as well as your bodily alcohol content.” Mike Nichols is a Lansing-OWI-OUIL-DUI attorney, whose practice is focused on representing those charged with drunk and drugged driving. He cautions, “make sure that when you order a 3rd drink, you turn your keys over because there is just too much risk involved. If you do drive and you are stopped after having something alcoholic to drink, there is no reason to take a portable breath test (PBT) offered by the officer. You are just giving the police more reason to arrest you,” said Nichols.
Nichols also advises: “Further, there is no reason to try to perform the roadside sobriety tests. Even though the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) created tests to try to validate and standardized an officer’s prediction of impairment, officers routinely fail to follow the protocols and fail a driver regardless of how any of the tests are administered or interpreted.” Michigan State Police figures show that the number of OWI-OUIL-DUI arrests have been on the downward slope in recent years but continue to trend up during the holiday season.