A lot of drinking and driving happens because people go out with friends, have a few drinks and still need to head home at the end of the night. People may feel like they do not have any other transportation options, or they may just try to wait so that they can sober up, believing that means they can drive safely.
But how long does it actually take before you would be sober enough to get behind the wheel? It is probably longer than you think. On average, studies find that alcohol metabolism means your BAC goes down at a fairly steady rate of 0.015% per hour. That means that someone who had a BAC of 0.09%, which is slightly over the legal limit, would need a full six hours before their BAC would return to zero.
Does coffee increase the metabolic rate?
Naturally, this slow rate of decline means that people sometimes wait for half an hour and get in the car, not realizing that they still have a very high BAC and they are going to fail a breath test if they get pulled over. Some people will claim that there are different tactics they can use to increase the rate at which their BAC goes down, like drinking a cup of coffee to sober up.
But there is not really anything you can do to change the way your body processes alcohol. It just takes time. Coffee does not speed this process up, although it can wake you up if you are feeling tired. Neither does eating food, taking a shower, drinking water or anything else that people may suggest. The only solution is to wait long enough for your BAC to drop, and to refrain from driving until it does.
DUI defense options
Misunderstandings about BAC levels and common tactics used to sober up can sometimes lead to DUI arrests. Those who are facing charges should know about all of their legal defense options.