• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
Ignition Interlock Help

Ignition Interlock Help

The One Stop Place For All Your Ignition Interlock Needs!

  • Interlock Device
  • Locations
  • State Laws
  • FAQs
  • Contact
  • 888-958-8140

DWAI: New York’s Buzzed Driving Law

You are here: Home / Law / DWAI: New York’s Buzzed Driving Law
February 11, 2015 by Editorial Staff

ignition interlockIn states across the U.S., you’re considered intoxicated once your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) reaches .08 percent. With that much alcohol in your blood, you’re unable to make the right decisions behind the wheel of a car, and you’re a danger to everyone on the road.  However, before you even get to the .08 BAC line, you’re already well on your way to being impaired by the effects of alcohol. You’ve got a buzz, and now you’re thinking about driving home.

In New York, driving with a buzz can end with a DWAI, or “driving while ability impaired” charge. If your BAC is between .05 and .079 percent, you are still driving under the influence of alcohol and that buzz of yours could lead to dangerous behaviors.

Your DWAI buzz puts you at risk for:

  • Slower reaction time when driving.
  • Riskier driving behaviors, like speeding or ignoring traffic signs.
  • Visual impairment, such as reduced depth perception.
  • Drinking more alcohol until you are legally drunk.

Just by drinking a couple of drinks, you are tiptoeing toward being legally drunk. In fact, even if you stop drinking when you feel buzzed, you may not have processed all of the alcohol you’ve consumed. That means that by the time you’re already driving yourself home, the rest of your drinks could hit your system, and you could be at or above the .08 BAC limit.

New York’s DWAI penalties include fines, possible jail time and a license suspension. A DWAI also counts as a drunk driving conviction, and it will factor into any “habitual” offender penalties. If you are under the age of 21 with a DWAI, you may also face additional penalties.

Unlike a DUI, a DWAI in New York will not require you to install an ignition interlock device or face a criminal charge. But, it is still drinking and driving. If you are buzzed or if you are drunk, remember it is easier to call a taxi than risk a ride in the back of a police car, and any drunk driving charge.

Category: LawTag: Impaired Driving, New York

About Editorial Staff

The editorial staff is a group of writers and contributors with wide-ranging areas of expertise. The editorial staff provides news and analysis of topics that are focused on community and driver safety.

Previous Post:Fun Fact: Ignition Interlock Devices Restore Licenses in Missouri
Next Post:Why Am I Humming into My Ignition Interlock Device?

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Installation Calls

Speak to our friendly and knowledgeable staff to get answers to your questions and to schedule your Ignition Interlock Device Installation.

Call Today
Interlock Basics

Device Info
Locations
State Laws

Company

FAQs
Contact Us
Resource Library

Call Toll-Free

888-958-8140


Copyright © 2025 Ignition Interlock Help

Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy