It is highly recommended that no person should ever have an alcoholic beverage before operating a motor vehicle.

However, should you decide to have a drink and drive later that evening; here are 20 ways to prevent an accident or arrest.

  1. Insist that everyone in your vehicle wear seat belts.
  2. The primary causes for the police to stop vehicles that subsequently result in DUI convictions are speeding, failure to make a complete stop at a stop sign, and running a red light.
  3. Drink up to 32 ounces of water before you consume any alcohol, if you plan a night of drinking.
  4. Since men’s stomachs produce more of a special enzyme that metabolizes alcohol than what is found in women’s stomachs, women should be particularly careful about the types and quantity of alcohol they consume.
  5. Extend the time during which you can safely continue consuming wine by diluting the alcohol content of your beverage with non-carbonated fruit juices or other mixers.
  6. Cease alcohol consumption 1.5 hours prior to heading home, and drink water during this time period to enhance your odds of a favorable urine test if you’re stopped on the way home.
  7. Carbonation in sparkling wines, draft beer, and highball mixers tends to accelerate the rate of absorption of alcohol into your bloodstream.
  8. Ask if state law allows you to speak with an attorney prior to taking the official state-administered BAC tests.
  9. Check your alcohol content before driving with a handheld breath alcohol testing device.
  10. It is significantly more difficult for police to detect an impaired driver when you blend in with traffic than when your car is isolated on the highway.
  11. Never exit your vehicle when being pulled over unless instructed to do so by the police officer.
  12. Never admit prior alcohol consumption, regardless of the cause for the stop.
  13. You should never try to evade being stopped by the officer, since doing so constitutes a serious offense and could result in a bad accident.
  14. If you’re involved in an accident after drinking, don’t talk to anyone at the scene about it until after you speak with a DUI defense attorney.
  15. The state’s BAC results can be excluded if a police officer fails to continuously observe a defendant for the required waiting period under state law.
  16. Only perform FSTs or blow into a PBT if the officer advises you that failure to comply will result in revocation of your license.
  17. Since a police officer’s missing or inaccurate warnings could cause test results to be excluded from evidence, try to record your conversation. The jury will believe the officer’s testimony over yours, without any evidence to the contrary.
  18. Always insist on your own independent BAC tests when you are required to submit to the official state test for BAC. Some states won’t inform you of your right to seek another test, and will require you to obtain your tests on your own initiative. Other states, however, will advise you of this right – even transferring you to a facility where you can provide a sample, if you’re going to be held in custody.
  19. Your attorney may be able to suppress admissions made by you while in custody if the police have deprived you of your freedom of movement, and solicited answers to incriminating questions from you without first giving you your Miranda warnings.
  20. Mouth alcohol can be trapped by bridgework or false teeth, contaminating a breath machine sample.