Drinking and driving is the scourge of society. One should never get behind the wheel intoxicated.
As a recovering alcoholic I remember all the added stress I had over the change I was going to get nailed for driving under the influence (DUI).
DUI is a lot more common than you might think. How many people do you think are arrested each year in the USA for DUI?
According to DrinkingandDriving.org and ABC Action News, nearly a million Americans are arrested for DUI each year. In some states, one out of every 100 people will face a DUI arrest this year.
DUI cases are often cut and dry – a police officer stops a driver who has been driving erratically and, upon closer observation, determines the driver is clearly intoxicated and not fit for the road. But many DUI cases are not that clear.
There are two main tests that police officers administer in a possible drunk driving situation, and both can be problematic. How accurate do you feel the tests are?
Breathalyzer Test
Police will usually ask a driver to submit to this test. Most states set the legal limit for blood alcohol content at .08 percent. But if you blow a .081, isn’t it possible the Breathalyzer wasn’t perfectly accurate? The accuracy of these tests has been successfully challenged in court time and time again.
Field Sobriety Test
In this test, the driver is asked to perform simple acts designed to test his balance, coordination, and motor skills. But every such test contains conditions that could alter the outcome. For example, it might be raining. Perhaps the driver is wearing high heels at the time or the sobriety test is being conducted on a gravel road. If the driver slips, was it really because she was drunk?
You can actually refuse to take either of these tests if you’ve been pulled over on suspicion of drunk driving. But you should know that doing so might not be the best course of action. In some states, refusing a Breathalyzer test is actually a crime punishable by jail time.
If you have been arrested for a DUI and have not been court-ordered to take an alcohol class I would suggest you take one immediately. You also should keep in your mind at all times that you should never get behind the wheel if you have had even one drink.