Police say day after DUIs are more common than people realize

Alcohol does not leave your system right away when you stop drinking, and it can sometimes lead to a DUI the day after you go out. People often don't think that they're in any danger the next morning, and then they're shocked to be pulled over and facing charges.

One woman got pulled over on the way to work, for example, and said she thought she'd never be someone to get a DUI. She was careful the night before, but she just assumed that she'd be fine after a night's sleep. When given a breath test, though, she was still over the legal limit.

Some experts have calculated that an hour without drinking can decrease a person's blood alcohol concentration by around .02. In the woman's case, they estimate that she got up to about .22 while she was out with friends. She then spent six hours sleeping, but that only dropped her BAC to around .10, which is still more than the .08 allowed by law.

Everyone knows that it's wise to take a cab or get a designated driver after a night at the bar. However, most people don't think about taking these same steps the next day. Police have said that they actually give out DUIs in the morning more than people know.

This can often come as a shock; you may end up facing charges even though you didn't try to break the law and didn't even realize you were doing so. If this happens in New York, be sure you know about all of your legal defense options.