Taimoor Rana is seasoned criminal defense attorney specializing in DUI related cases. He shares his expert legal opinion here « 10 DWI/DUI Myths and Their Facts – Part-1
0
- Common myths surround the subject of DWI and DUI. Here I have corrected them by giving scientific information and evidence related to these myths.
Myth # 1:
A person’s BAC reading could be lowered down by sucking on pennies.
Fact:
If you suck a penny or other copper, it will not affect the results of an alcohol breath tester BAC. Don’t ever try to be a sucker as doing this you does not make any cents.
Myth # 2:
A reliable sign of how much alcohol has been consumed and what is the level of intoxication is “Alcohol on the breath”.
Fact:
Actually alcohol is odorless means it does not contain any smell. It is believed by the people that actually the alcohol on the breath is the odor of things commonly found in alcoholic beverages. So the breath of a person who has taken a non-alcoholic beer will smell the same as that of a person who has consumed an alcoholic beer.
Experienced law enforcement officers after research has found that estimates of odor strength are not related to blood alcohol concentration (BAC), which ranged in the experiment from zero to .13 which is almost twice the legal limit for driving.
The accuracy of estimates made by the officers is also the same as the accuracy of random guesses. It was concluded by the researchers that estimates of alcohol on the breath are unreliable.
Myth # 3:
People who avoid alcohol are “alcohol-free” so that is the reason that they can not be arrested for DUI.
Standard Drinks
Information on the equivalence of standard drinks of beer, wine and distilled spirits or liquor are graphically illustrated by the Standard Drinks. Its accuracy has been accepted by medical and other health professionals.
Fact:
Naturally on a continuous basis the human body produces its own supply of alcohol, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is called as endogenous ethanol production. Therefore, at every time we have alcohol in our bodies and people produce enough alcohol in some cases due to which they become legally intoxicated and thus they are arrested for DUI.
Myth # 4:
Those diabetics suffering hypoglycemia will be cleared from suspicion by a Breathalyzer. A person’s slurred speech, disorientation, staggering, drowsiness, poor motor control, and flushed face will contribute in the failure of field sobriety tests.
Fact:
Acetone is caused in the breath by Hypoglycemia, which is recorded as alcohol on the breath by the Breathalyzer. Unluckily, about one of seven drivers is a diabetes patient and while driving they are always at risk of false arrest and conviction for DUI/DWI.
Myth # 5:
As Field sobriety tests is based on scientific principles intoxicated drivers are accurately identified by them.
Fact:
Scientists at Clemson University conducted a study which involved showing police officers videotapes of individuals taking six common field sobriety tests. The officers were asked to decide the intoxication level of suspects and that were they legally allowed driving with that level? None of the suspects had a BAC above .000.
This means that they had zero alcohol in their blood. However, considering the professional opinion of the officers, 46% of the completely sober individuals were too drunk to drive! That is why the use of field sobriety tests led to judgments by law enforcement officers that were only accurate as much as a flipping coin.
You might also like
|
|
|
|
|
