When you drink, alcohol enters your bloodstream. The amount of alcohol found in your bloodstream is indicative of how much you have had to drink. The more alcohol in your blood, the more your judgment is impaired and the more you feel the effects of the alcohol. The state of Nevada limits the amount of alcohol that can be found in your bloodstream while driving. These laws protect the public from drunk drivers.
What Happens If You’re Pulled Over for Drunk Driving?
If you are pulled over and the officer believes you’ve been drinking, the officer will ask you questions to investigate the situation. If the police officer believes that you have been drinking, they will likely give you some field sobriety tests and a portable breath test.
The field sobriety tests are tests of your physical ability to do normal things like track a pen with your eyes or stand on one leg. The portable breath test will test your blood alcohol concentration (BAC). If the police officer determines that you’re legally too drunk to drive or that you are otherwise impaired, you may be arrested.
What’s the Blood Alcohol Limit in Las Vegas?
The blood alcohol level in Las Vegas depends on your age and the type of license you have. If you are under 21 years old, the legally allowed blood alcohol concentration is 0.02%. For drivers who have a commercial license, the limit is 0.04%. The limit for all other drivers is 0.08%.
How Much Can You Drink While Staying Under the Legal Limit?
Conventional wisdom says that you can drink about one drink per hour and be within the legal limit to drive. While this is a good rule of thumb, calculating blood alcohol level is a little more complicated than it sounds. A person’s weight, how much they’ve eaten, their gender, and how fast they drank are all factors that affect BAC.
You can find a multitude of blood alcohol calculators online to use to calculate your BAC, but these can be hard to use once alcohol has been consumed. This is why the best approach to drinking and driving involves using a designated driver.
In addition to alcohol consumption, you must also consider other legal limits. Nevada does not allow people to drive after consuming any illegal substances. Medications that impair judgment could also lead to an arrest.
What Happens When You’re Arrested for Drunk Driving?
When you’re arrested for drunk driving, you’ll be taken to the jail. In order to get out, you may need to pay bail. The bail money is returned to you (minus some fees) after you appear for your court date.
If you don’t have the money to post your own bail, you may need a bail bond. The bail bond is a surety bond that pays for your bail and uses collateral to ensure that you will appear in court.
What Are the Consequences of a Drunk Driving Arrest?
People who are arrested for drunk driving may face some unique consequences compared to people who are arrested for other offenses. In Nevada, your license could be revoked for 90 days and you could be required to carry special liability insurance for three years.
You may also be required to get an ignition interlock device that requires you to prove you have a legal BAC before you are allowed to turn on your car. If you’re convicted, you could get jail time or community service. You’ll also face a heavy fine, and you’ll have to attend a special DUI (driving-under-the-influence) school.
What Happens If You’re Convicted Multiple Times for Drunk Driving?
Because of the risk to the public, drunk driving is treated very seriously in Nevada. The consequences become more debilitating each time you’re convicted. With each drunk driving offense, the jail sentence, the fine, and community service requirement may all increase. Your car registration may be suspended, and your driver’s license could be revoked for a longer period of time. The bail amount will increase as well.
What If You Have More Questions About Drunk Driving?
If you’ve been arrested for drunk driving and have questions about your rights, talk to a lawyer. Look for a lawyer who specializes in DUI cases to ensure that you get the best information and the best legal advice for your case.
If you have questions about bail bonds and how they work, contact a reputable bail bond company. Your bail bond company can give you information about how to qualify for a bond, what’s needed for collateral and how to get a bond co-signed.
At All Star Bail Bonds in Las Vegas, we’re happy to answer your questions about posting bail in the Las Vegas area. Contact us today to find out more about how you can resolve your bail-related questions and concerns.