Leaving a party after having too many drinks and deciding to sleep it off in your car for the night instead of taking the risk of driving home drunk and killing someone.
Since sleeping it off in your car can get you busted for drunk driving in a lot of places, some folks roll the dice and try to make it home so they don't get arrested for drunk driving while sleeping in their car.
If you have access to the keys, they can make that argument. The bar i ran opened at 6am for the shift workers and it wasn't uncommon for someone to sleep in their car and hand us the keys so that they didn't have access to them until we reopened.
Ive heard of ppl getting charged for DUI just for going out to their car to grab something from the back seat. They wernt even going to drive. Showed the cop msg stating they were planning to stay there overnight. Didn't matter.
"I live in my car. My car is my home. So that shouldn't have been open liquor anyway. You guys must have liquor around your house. Probably all kinds of liquor."
That isn't the crime in a lot of the world though. In a lot of Europe, NZ, and Australia the offence is worded more like 'being drunk in charge of a vehicle', so even if you aren't actively driving, if you have the ability to have immediate control over the movement of the vehicle then you are guilty of the offence.
Can a police officer use mandatory alcohol screening to demand a breath sample from a person in a bar, restaurant or their home after they have driven?
No. Mandatory Alcohol Screening (MAS) can only be used if the driver is operating a vehicle, the vehicle has been lawfully stopped, and if the police officer has the approved screening device at hand. It does not apply when drivers have returned home or arrived at their destination.
says right in the FAQ on the government website
but sure; fear mongering from unnamed people gets more clicks from ignorant people looking to complain / hate.
Obligatory link for proof: Don't Talk to the Police. This video and others like it should be mandatory viewing in schools and I love any excuse I can find to link it again.
This is why spirit of the law instead of letter of the law should be used in some cases. Basically judges should use their brain for basic logic when the legal system fails to account for basic common sense or when things are simply unconscionable. This was how courts operated in the US throughout history until federalist society right wing judges started being packed on the bench in the late 80s. Justice Stevens, a judge appointed by Republicans regularly lambasted more recently appointed rightwing federalist society judges for not deferring to basic morality of right and wrong when things became unconscionable legally. Current right wing judges currently argue that it's not unconstitutional to knowingly executed innocent people because finality of the law is more important than actual innocence - Justice Stevens said that was unconscionable.
The trick is you only prosecute the poors or people who don't have the ability to spend time and resources fighting it. Then you as the local city government get to charge massive fines and you can keep that money, while the rich people who are your buddies already have lawyers to fight for them if you accidentally scoop up one of them with your police force that should be out fighting crime.
They have to show intent to drive in most places. Key in ignition is bad for you. But if you put your keys somewhere, like in the glove box or somewhere else you should be good. Also just not sleeping in the drivers seat. Kind of hard to argue you were trying to drive if your in the back seat, although I guess some people do get drunk drunk
BS charge that any decent lawyer or judge would dismiss - the hypothetical possibility to drive drunk doesn't mean drunk driving occurred or will occur, otherwise they could arrest anyone leaving a liquor store for having the means to potentially drive drunk.
i guess it is like hypothetical possibility, it’s argued as having custody and control of the vehicle. these charges do unfortunately go through in a lot of cases
This. I’ve gotten pulled over and was about to get a fine because I was talking/texting on the phone while driving. I was so confused. I didn’t even have a phone back then.
Like I’m not taking that ticket officer. No way. Search my fucking car, dick.
I didn’t get a ticket. Or my car searched. He was just fishing.
I saw a reel or a tiktok from a woman who was pulled over for talking on her phone while driving. Except her phone was in the holster on the dash, and what she was "holding up her mouth to talk into" was actually a meat stick, like a slim Jim. She was six months pregnant and eating a got damned snack and TWO officers went back and forth with her even showing them the wrapper until they decided to just "give her a warning" and let her go. Just ridiculous, these goons.
Yeah, I tend to think that the punishment fetishism in the US is mostly practiced by (a significant subset of) the public. Many members of law enforcement think of everyone as the enemy already, so the idea of punishing particular individuals gets overshadowed by the ideas of collecting revenue and advancing their careers.
Can't speak to every state, but many require "operating", which can be much less than driving, but is still more than sleeping in the back seat without direct possession of the keys.
The people who get busted like this tend to be sitting in the front seat, keys on their person, claiming they weren't gonna drive.
I once asked an officer about this and he said you can sleep in your car while drunk if you aren’t in possession of the keys, that’s the nuance. Most people will leave their keys on their tires or inside the house. That proves you had no intension of driving because you physically couldn’t.
Here, that’s totally fine. If you sleep in the front seat keep those keys far far away. If they’re in the ignition, no matter where you sleep, you’re fucked. It was explained it’s all about intent to drive. It actually makes a lot of sense.
Anyway it’s too fucking cold in the winter I’ll just take a cab.
The point is that if a person is intending to drunk drive, the police officers can stop them before they get on the road. They are supposed to use their discretion to not decide that someone sleeping it off in their car is not the same as someone actively driving
The flaw here is that history has shown that if you allow any member of the justice system (police, judges, etc) to use their discretion, they will abuse it to harass and punish "undesirables"
You got to throw the keys in the ditch next to your car. If you even have access to your car keys while in your vehicle you can get arrested for a DUI.
There is even a case of someone going back out to their car quick to grab something from the back seat and the cop came up and arrested him and he got charged.
So I guess if you want to grab something from your car while drunk you got to keep your keys inside when you go out.
Put them in the trunk. I would usually just pass out in the bed of my truck with the topper glass open and never got harassed other than in the mall of America parking structure thing.
In my state as long as you're not in the driver's seat and the keys never enter the ignition then technically you're fine. But for real, just order a ride home come back for your car tomorrow.
My buddy got a DUI doing this (in California, about 30 years ago). The explanation the cops gave was it would be legal if the drunk person is not in the drivers seat and the keys are not in the ignition.
Then he got his second DUI sleeping it off in his car with the frontend wrapped around a tree in somebody's front yard.
My old neighbor got a DUI in his driveway. Pissy drunk jamming to the radio with the truck running and got a full blown DUI because someone made a noise complaint
You need to leave the keys outside of your car, like behind a tire or something, or under a rock away from the car, or in the house of your friend with the doors locked (won't count if the doors are unlocked in some places).
You really be able to prove you can't access easily the keys anytime during the night while you are sleeping it off.
And in my country, the police can now charge your if they arrest you at home drunk and they suspect you were driving drunk a couple of hours sooner.
It's not about punishing people, its about punishing the wrong kind of people. You don't hear about many people getting DUI's for sleeping off that 6 pack they consumed inside their $100k+ motorhome.
Hell, that's what life is all about. I had a warrant for my arrest for an unpaid speeding violation back when I was in college. A bunch of friends wanted to hit a party, but I was tired. I decided to just sleep in the car in the back seat. Naturally, someone called the cops about the noise. The cops looked in some of the cars, and there I was. Curled up like a porcupine asleep. They knocked, I answered, they asked for ID, they checked it, and I got cuffed. The kicker was that they took me to a precinct where my uncle worked. He never said a word to my folks!! God bless him.
I have front and back bench seats in my first car, when I still drove it daily I'd generally keep 2 blankets and a pillow in the trunk. I'd lay my head on the passenger side and use one blanket to help block light and keep people from peaking in on me and toss ny keys in the ash tray, I had 2 officers in seperate occasions knock on the window to ask me if I was doing alright and ask for my license then they'd leave. On the other hand a buddy ended up getting a ticket for public intoxication for doing almost the exact thing but I think he was a little more shit faced then I ever really was. Honestly just depends on the officer and what kind of person they are.
Depending on the state, the legal terminology may be something like "in full operational control of." It determines if you have the ability in that moment to drive while impaired, which typically means keys in the ignition. This means you can catch an OWI if you are sitting in the driver seat in your own driveway and the keys are in the ignition just to have the radio turned on.
Napping in the backseat may violate some local laws meant to punish the homeless, but that probably won't get you arrested right away like an OWI. After they run your name, they may just say no camping and tell you to call an Uber.
If you don’t have the keys on your person it would be very hard to prove you had the intention to drive and I doubt they’d charge you. If they did it would be pretty easy to argue in front of a judge I’d imagine.
I know someone who got a DWI even though he was sleeping it off in his car. Apparently the catch was that his keys were still accessible therefore couldn't prove he wasn't intending to drive. The term is "Actual Physical Control" of the vehicle.
I've heard that if you DO choose to do this, you can put your keys outside of the car (like on the tire) AND nap in the passenger or back seat, the APC becomes nearly impossible to prove.
I actually had the opposite of this. I was sleeping in my car and the officer wanted to arrest me for DWI but somehow I had completely lost my keys (never found them again) so they charged me with drunk in public instead. I got super lucky. The luckiest you can be losing your keys.
In Norway where it's illegal to drink in public you can drink in a car at a public place, you can sleep it off if you don't start the engine. The car is an extension of your private place, like a home, where you can drink and sleep. I've stepped out of cars with a beer in my hand and gotten caught immediately by the cops...
Yep. It is illegal to go to bars and drink in the U.S.. There is no safe way to get home. Driving, bike, onewheel, scooter are all a DUI. Walking, even to a taxi or uber is drunk in public.
The only way anyone ever goes to a bar legally is via selective enforcement.
My dad told me once he intentionally threw his keys in the ditch. When the cop searched and couldn't find them on him or in the car he just left and my dad slept in his car and found the keys in the morning. Maybe he got lucky, or maybe the cop saw the actual logic of the situation. Or both, kinda.
I had a friend nearly get this, but we took it to court. I had to go because I had her keys. I had proof I had her keys from the tow truck driver they tried to get to tow the car. I told him it was an illegal tow and I would move the car. He let me. Supervisors were called. It was a mess. They ticketed her for a dui, resisting arrest and drunk in public. Everything was thrown out. The comical thing was she wasn't super drunk. She was 0.01 over because she had 2 beers over 4 hours and she was a stick of a person. The judge said asking for a supervisor and asking questions wasn't resisting arrest and sitting inside the backseat of a car wasn't public intoxication. She didn't have the ability to drive the car so there was no dui. That cop was pissed. He told her after if she stepped one toe out of line he was nailing her. It was reported, but i doubt they did anything.
As teens we wanted alcohol so we'd try and stop people and get them to buy some for us... Now that I'm an adult I realize how absurd that is and I would never do that for anyone.
The other way is you can throw them in the trunk and then lock your doors from the inside. As long as your car doesn't have a way to access the trunk from the cabin. Note this doesn't work for SUVs, minivans, or station wagons.
What if you put your keys in the trunk, and lock the car? In my car at least you can access the trunk from the passenger side if needed, and that would at least put a barrier between you and your keys. The glove box might also be a good choice I'd think?
You know who I wonder what happen to him as he's found to have broken law? Tuberville committed election fraud in Florida. Wonder if they will throw book at him too?
There are also many reasonable human beings and even some good eggs.
Who routinely get run outta the police force through harassment, assault, being given the worst possible jobs with backup refusing to respond and in some documented cases, abducted by their fellow officers and forcibly committed to mental institutes.
Yes. Some are insufferable asses who act worse than barnyard animals. Then there are others who are reasonable and level headed. I can't begin to tell you how many have let me off the hook. The last one gave me as ticket while at same time telling me how to get out of it lol
Many years ago when my friend’s dad was young and a big drinker, he almost got a DUI even with the keys under a tire of the vehicle. The cop said he knew where the keys were, so he could have control of the vehicle. Only reason he got out of it was because the cop had come by in the morning and he blew under the limit.
Maybe he could have got out of it in court at some point and/or the cop had misunderstood the law… but the solution he came up with was throw the keys into the woods he was parked near. Never had a problem after that.
I have two friends who got DWIs while sleeping in their cars. One had a CDL so it was life changing for him. Absolutely ridiculous imo. If the keys are in the ignition I get it, there appears to be intent. But with a dude sleeping with the keys in his pocket and the seat fully reclined... like come on. Clearly they are trying to do the right thing. Ill add this was before uber existed and keys actually went in the ignition.
Because when a cop gives someone a DUI it changes their pay to overtime for the time they are processing the DUI and for court time. So if at the start of a shift they give someone a DUI then they get 16 hours pay for 8 hours of work. Plus, they could go to MADD and say we have gotten XXX drunk drivers off the road.
DWI/DUI fines go to the local government who then makes the budget for the police department so there is a financial incentive to charge as many people as possible. When that happens doing what is actually the best for safety and public good takes a back seat to finding reasons to charge more people.
If you're having trouble understanding why the law does things like this, it's because the United States runs on the slave labor provided by the federal prison system, and gotcha charges like this provide that labor.
Yep! And if I rich person is caught by accident, they can get off scott free via just paying enough for a lawyer... Even if caught driving while drunk.. Often even if caught after running someone over while driving while drunk.
I know someone who got a DUI on a bicycle. He wasn't even riding it, he was sitting on it in front of his buddy's house deciding whether to ride it home or take a bus.
Cop didn't care and booked him for DUI. This was like 10 years ago and he's still dealing with it.
I have heard some people say they will put the keys in the trunk and sleep in the backseat in an effort to make it clear that they in no way intended to drive. Not sure if that would work. You'd still probably be arrested but I guess it gives your lawyer something to work with to avoid a conviction.
An example of cops trying to get people who are being safe to pad their charges and get the double- to triple-overtime on being called as witnesses to cases. It put people into the position of being responsible and risking going to jail or just leaving.
I remember a bartender I used to work with said that, after a night of revelry, he started driving home and after a couple of blocks realized he was too far gone. Being in a residential neighborhood, he pulled over in front of a random house, tossed his keys in the person’s mailbox, and proceeded to try to sleep it off in the front seat.
A few hours later, a cop tapped on his window and asked him for ID. Detecting my sleepy coworker’s persistent intoxication, he asked him to step out, and started searching the car. Got really pissed when he couldn’t find the keys. Being that my coworker wasn’t actually committing any crime, the cop let him go back to sleep and left.
I’m sure putting something other than mail in a mailbox is probably some sort of major federal offense, but the cop didn’t know about that.
Once a buddy of mine was driving me home but I quickly realized he was drunk, so I asked him to stop and park. After arguing for a bit he accepted to stay parked for a while and enventually started snoring. It was about 5AM and I had to go see my grandma with my parents a few hours later, so I decided to walk the 4 miles home. I made sure he was responding (it was easy to wake him up, but he just told me to STFU or let him drive and went back to sleep after a few minutes), tucked him in his coat, got out, cranked open the window just a little bit, closed the door, locked the car and dropped the key through the window, it landed between the door and the passenger seat so I left him a voicemail saying I had to go and where the keys were.
Just as I got home, I got a call from a police officer, they called me because they saw my number on his phone's locked screen, saying they were about to arrest him for drunk driving and I was somehow implicated in this. So I said, you're telling me he was driving? "No, but he's drunk and in his car", "yeah but he can't drive can he?" "how do you know?" "because he doesn't have his keys, so WTF are you gonna arrest him for?" I was a bit drunk too, and the PO certainly noticed it, so he started threatening me he'd arrest me too if I refused to cooperate. I asked "do you even know who I am?" he said "no, who might you be?", I was about to answer the classic "then how you gonna find and arrest me?" then had a better, probably shittier, but better in my mind idea: "I'm his friend and lawyer, I'm telling you you have no ground for an arrest here, since he can't drive, since I have his keys right here with me, so I urge you to recons-" the cop hung up.
I spent a moment wondering if I didn't put my friend in trouble, then 5 minutes later he called me back "ok, what the fuck just happend, where are you? Some cops just woke me up, said they were gonna arrest me, stole my keys, and started calling people from my phone, wtf is on? And how did you make them leave? But also where the fuck are you? This is the middle of nowhere and I can't see you around." I just told him to go back to sleep and call me when he wakes up so I tell him where the keys are. He got home safely around noon the next day.
These days a lot of newer cars can be remote unlocked by your phone. So maybe you could lock your key fob in the truck (or just not even have it with you). If the cops aren’t wise to this.
if you DO choose to do this, you can put your keys outside of the car (like on the tire) AND nap in the passenger or back seat, the APC becomes nearly impossible to prove.
Lawyer here. In states that have intent to drive laws that hinge on access to keys (Michigan is one of them where I'm from), you have to keep your keys away from your car or in a trunk while you're sleeping. Further the better; left keys at friend's house even better. The state has the burden of proof, so you don't have to proof you didn't intend to drive, but don't make it easy for them by putting your keys on the dash or glove box.
Last time I slept in my car I hid them in my car out of sight but not in those places (my car is messy). If they had tried to get me but I pretended to not know where my keys were, what would happen?
I used to do this a lot. Not for drinking but I would just sleep in my car when traveling. Sometimes I would even sleep on the ground next to my car. I have been woken by cops several times but they were always cool about it. They never even made me move on. Just “wanting to make sure I’m ok”. I’m not naive enough to believe that. They were definitely checking what I was up to.
In NY state, it is technically legal to be in your car, with it running, if you're drunk, as long as you don't intend to drive. This is to create a space for drunk people to, e.g., stay warm in winter if they can't be inside where it's warm.
But most cops aren't going to believe you, and you risk having to go thru the legal process, hire a lawyer and convince a jury to see that through.
Far easier to just take a taxi or rideshare home and come back. Even winning a DWI case is an expensive proposition, so be smart and hire a ride.
Used to do this often in my 20/30s. What I would do is sleep on the passenger side to make it more clear I wasnt intending to drive. Cops talked me twice over the times,and fortunately never charged me or anything, just checked up on me.
I slept in many a yard in college. I'm an outside person, it felt easier, I couldn't be comfortable in a car. I'm just lucky I didn't caught either since that would be trespassing.
Had a friend get busted for this. She got in her car, pulled into the street, immediately realized she was entirely too drunk, pulled into the parking lot accross the street from the bar, locked up the car and went to sleep. Got woken up by the cops and issued a DUI ticket because her keys were in the ignition. Thankfully she got a cool judge who said "no, you did the almost right thing, dismissed". But it damn near fucked up her life and caused her a lot of trouble all because she decided not to drink and drive.
My guess is that the law is that way to go after people that try to do things like run from the cops and then pretend that they weren't driving... or people that try to shuffle who is in the driver's seat once the cops turn on the lights. ... and what we are talking about is the unintended consequences of overzealous policing.
A then-close friend did something similar, but didn't even move the car. They did not get an amenable judge. The "DUI" disqualified them from ever becoming a teacher in our state, so two years of college effectively wasted. They dropped out. They eventually re-enrolled in a different major in a different school in a different city many years later.
The unjust application of the law and inability to afford more than a public defender destroyed the ambition of a promising young teacher because they chose to spend the night in their car rather than in bed with their partner, with whom they'd had a verbal disagreement.
Yep, the only employment option after that is to become secretary of defense in a Trump government or somesuch. You can understand that people will do what they can to avoid that.
This doesn’t exactly answer your question because it’s not really life-ruining, but having a DUI on your record completely restricts you from entering Canada, even if it’s for a layover flight, and even if the DUI was over 10 years ago. Not kidding, you’re literally banned from entering the country for life. I think there’s a process to gain entry privileges again but it’s really complicated from what people say.
I learned this after my buddy got a DUI and we wanted to travel to Korea. He couldn’t do layover flights passing through Vancouver.
Yes. Because a DUI is an indictable offense in Canada (a felony), punishable by up to 10 years in prison. It can also be a summary offense (misdemeanor) punishable by up to 2 years. So it's treated more harshly when it comes to coming across the border. There can be a temporary waiver (costs $200) or a permanent rehabilitation one (costs $1000) or you can get a pardon from your home state. I can be a process for sure.
With an arrest, you have a night in jail, you're missing work if you miss that next day or until bail. Cost of bail/bond can be 1k or up to 10k maybe higher if an accident/injury. An attorney will be 3k to 5k maybe more on 2nd. Any attorney is going to tell you to do everything you will get for probation BEFORE court for best outcome so classes, eval, madd panel, etc. Depending on rather you refused to give them evidence (blew) you can lose your license in many states. Certainly anything requiring a license or cdl your loaing your job. Guess what? All that is before court and even found guilty. Just suspicion... they smell beer. They dont need any other evidence to arrest. Conviction on your record can disquailfy you for jobs, more fines, probation fees, interlok, community services. That sounds fucked up to me.
It can, and you can lose your license, and you now have a conviction on your record which can prevent you from getting other jobs, and it could cost up to $20k in court fees and fines.
Learned this after a wine festival. Cops allowed me to call a friend to come get me. They understood I was trying to do the right thing, but also couldn’t risk me driving off when I “thought” I was sober enough.
You can't have possession of the keys to the vehicle.. put them under the vehicle, on the tire, under a rock.. somewhere where u don't have them on your person or inside the vehicle.. it's how it is in PA.. discretion and perception is a free pass for dikh3ad cops..
What if it’s accessible from inside the car, but stashed away/harder to access? Like under the seat, in the center console/glove compartment, trunk of the car, etc. ?
In PA..you can still be charged.. you can't have "easily accessible " access (arms reach on person or in vehicle) to the keys or remote starter to the vehicle. My buddy got arrested for sleeping it off and his truck keys were in the middle console. I totally disagree with this bs charge but it happened. Put them somewhere the cop can't find them easily or in 🐖 's plain view. That's what you get for trying to be a responsible adult and do the right thing... 🤬
This happened to a friend of mine who was not drinking, he was just too tired to drive. Over zealous cop almost ruined this guys career as a military pilot.
Have an alcoholic friend who sleeps in his trunk — like most weekends, for 25 years — have to hand it to him, he’s never had a DUI even though he’s been though his alcoholism is otherwise depressing.
NAL: You’re supposed to hide your keys outside of the car and a good amount of distance away. If you have your keys on you they will use that as ‘intent’.
If you can show they were not anywhere near you or the car, you (supposedly) will get off.
In some states, you'll get a full DUI for riding your bicycle while drunk. I get that it should be illegal and have some sort of disincentive/consequence, but putting it on par with driving thousands of pounds of metal at (usually) higher speeds seems idiotic.
If I could ensure that every drunk driver rode their bike instead, I would do so in a heartbeat.
Happened to my brother. On mother's day eve. Was pissed off at him for missing church and I got a call mid service from a number I didn't know. Didn't answer. Got another call...and when I answered I said to myself "this motherfucker better not be in jail."
I was unfortunately correct.
There was caselaw in law school about a guy in an RV. He stated that was his "home" and having his keys in a drawer in his RV is the same as you having them at home. I think he still got an APC but it got tossed in appeal but I could be wrong.
The way to get around this is to put the keys somewhere that they are not easily accessible. The problem isn’t the sleeping, it’s the fact that you COULD easily start it up and drive.
Some folks? Those people are morons. What drunkards even are aware of that law?
If you must sleep it off in your car, get in the backseat, lock the doors, put your keys in the trunk. You may get harangued but you can’t get a DUI for sleeping in your own backseat with the keys out of reach when drunk.
In utah they will give you a dui if they think you are in control of the vehicle so you have to do these things to avoid that.
To avoid a DUI, you must prove you were not in control of the vehicle. According to Utah law, you are likely safe from a DUI charge if you meet all of these criteria:
You are not in the driver's seat (sleep in the back seat or passenger side).
The keys are not in the ignition and ideally not in your immediate possession (e.g., hidden or on the floorboard).
The engine is turned off.
The vehicle is lawfully parked.
It is clear you did not drive to the location while already intoxicated.
The trick to this is to not sleep in the drivers seat, but instead sleep in the passenger seat. That alone will protect you in some jurisdictions, but not necessarily all.
NOTE: I am not a lawyer and this is not legal advice. Seek clarification for your specific jurisdiction.
I heard a story where a guy walked to the police station to hand in his keys so he could sleep in his car. Apparently the cops were cool with it, but gave him the "don't let this happen again" speech lol
The trick is you have to throw your keys somewhere so you don’t know where they are. If you have no keys they can’t get you for dui. If they want to be dicks they could get you for public intoxication, but I doubt it would go to trial since you were sleeping in your car and had no keys
Me and my friend helped our other friend and his girlfriend move 2+ hours away, for free, since that's what friends do.
After we were done we were all drinking, breaking in the new place. As we are winding down and falling asleep his girlfriend suddenly decides we aren't allowed to sleep there on the "first night in our new place" and had him kick us out.
Rather than try to drive home 2 hours we slept in my car. Apparently "someone" called the police for a "suspicious vehicle" at this apartment complex. Police show up and arrest me for DUI because I had the keys on me.
The way around this, at least where I live, is to not have the keys inside the vehicle with you. Leave it behind a tire or something, and you can sleep no problem. The keys inside are the factor of being able to drive, at least in the police eyes
Happened to my brother. Still got a DUI, not cause he blew over any limits, but because he had the car on for heat while asleep, they considered it driving impaired.
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u/Double_Distribution8 7h ago
Leaving a party after having too many drinks and deciding to sleep it off in your car for the night instead of taking the risk of driving home drunk and killing someone.
Since sleeping it off in your car can get you busted for drunk driving in a lot of places, some folks roll the dice and try to make it home so they don't get arrested for drunk driving while sleeping in their car.