Drinking is a huge part of our social culture here in New York and the rest of the country. When we want to spend time with a friend we suggest going out for a drink. Parties and weddings offer guests wine and liquor. And beer is the go-to drink for watching sports live or on television. Today, a social event that does not involve alcohol is hard to come by — and staying within your limits before driving home is not always easy.

Police, however, are trained to spot even the slightest sign that a driver may be impaired. And violating a traffic law can give them further cause to stop you. Recently, Partridge Family star David Cassidy found this out the hard way.

Cassidy was pulled over in upstate New York because his high beams were on. New York officers apparently smelled alcohol on him and instructed him to perform a field sobriety test. After the actor did not perform well, police administered a breath test. Cassidy blew 0.10, just slightly over New York’s limit of 0.08.

Because this is not the first time Cassidy has faced drunk driving charges, he was charged with felony DWI. His court date is set for Sept. 4.

As this case shows, police will not hesitate to pull a person over for even a minor infraction like having your high beams on. If this happens after you have been drinking, you could be facing serious penalties, including the loss of your license, fines and possibly even jail time. Breath tests and field sobriety tests, however, are not always accurate. To find out how to determine if yours may have been incorrect, it may be worthwhile to contact an attorney.

Source: Los Angeles Times, “David Cassidy arrested on suspicion of drunk driving in New York,” Christie D’Zurilla, Aug. 21, 2013