Atlanta Drunk Driving Injury Lawyer | Next Day DUI Accidents

Most Georgia traffic accidents involving alcohol occur at night. However, a surprising number of Atlanta DUI car wrecks occur in the morning. These accidents are caused by drivers who believe they are able to drive, but still have a high blood alcohol level from drinking the night before.

How long does alcohol stay in the body?

Once the alcohol in a beverage has been absorbed into the bloodstream, it can leave the body in two ways. Ten percent of the alcohol leaves through the breath, perspiration, and urine. But, the remaining 90 percent must be broken down in the process known as metabolism.

Metabolism refers to the set of chemical reactions that break down the food that we eat. Alcohol can’t be stored in the body, so it is broken down in the same way.

You’ve heard people talk about having a fast metabolism or slow metabolism. These rates don’t apply to alcohol. Everyone, regardless of height, weight or sex, metabolizes alcohol at the rate of .015 of blood alcohol concentration (BAC) every hour. So, to find the amount of time it would take for alcohol to leave the body, just divide BAC by .015.

This means that a person with a BAC of .02 will have no alcohol in the blood after one hour and 20 minutes. A person who is legally intoxicated with a BAC of .08 will have alcohol in their blood for five hours and 20 minutes. A person with a BAC of .15 will have to wait ten hours to be alcohol-free.

There is no way to speed up the process, but eating can slow the metabolism of alcohol because the food must also be metabolized. This doesn’t mean that people should not eat while drinking alcohol; eating can reduce overall blood alcohol level.

If a driver is at a party and has several drinks early in the evening, he may think he’s ok to drive at the end of the night. But, he may still have significant levels of alcohol in his system. Likewise, someone who partied till 2 a.m. may think he’s being responsible by sleeping at the host’s home until 8 a.m. But, when he gets on the road, he is still legally impaired.

If you have been injured by a drunk driver in Atlanta or have lost a loved one to a driver under the influence of alcohol, the at-fault driver may use the amount time since his last drink as a defense for his actions. However, there is no excuse that can make up for your injury. Atlanta DUI victims deserve fair compensation and accountability. Atlanta Drunk Driving injury lawyer Shane Smith can help.  Contact Shane Smith Law at (980) 246-2656

For more information about protecting your rights after an Atlanta DUI accident, download Mr. Smith’s free guide: “10 Mistakes That Can Ruin Your Georgia Wreck Case”.