It can be difficult to tell just how much alcohol is too much when it comes to drunk driving. Some people swear by the two drink rule, thinking their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) couldn’t possibly be over .08 after two small drinks. Others might believe that their body will metabolize the alcohol faster than it does, so three drinks during the course of an evening is OK in their books.
These are just guesses made by people who might not be that familiar with a breathalyzer or how a driving under the influence (DUI) arrest happens, and it’s because people guess or feel overly confident about their blood alcohol concentration that they so often end up arrested for DUI.
But there’s one man in Florida who shouldn’t have to guess about his own BAC before he drives, and yet he was just arrested for Florida DUI himself. Tom Hudson, a Florida DUI lawyer and expert should have realized he was over the legal limit before he put his keys in the ignition and was arrested for drunk driving and speeding.
Why is he a DUI expert? His qualifications include being a certified Florida Breath Test Operator, a Board Certified DUI Defense Expert, and an instructor for DWI detection and Field Sobriety Testing. He’s also written a book called “The Drinker’s Guide to Driving: The Secrets of DUI from One of America’s Top DUI Lawyers.”
Clearly he forgot a few of his own secrets, because he was stopped for drinking and driving when he was going 15 miles over the speed limit in Sarasota. The arresting officer also noted he was weaving in his lane as he drove, and when he pulled him over his eyes were glassy, he smelt of alcohol, and he appeared to have slurred speech.
When he submitted to a breath test his BAC was .12 and he was issued a citation for both DUI and speeding. Although his penalties aren’t known, the state of Florida requires a first offender to pay fines, possibly do jail time, and lose their drivers license for a maximum of 1 year. He also may be required to install an ignition interlock in his vehicle.
Everyone makes mistakes, even Board Certified DUI experts. Maybe he misjudged his blood alcohol concentration and made the decision, like so many others, to get behind the wheel anyway. This should serve as a great reminder that anyone, no matter who you are, can misjudge how drunk you are before driving.