By: Lance Knowlton

Roadside field sobriety tests (FSTs), developed at the behest of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), are commonly employed by police officers during DUI stops to determine whether a driver is under the influence of alcohol.

FSTs generally consist of a battery of three to five exercises, such as walking and turning in a different direction, standing on one leg, nystagmus (using the eyes to track an object), touching the finger to the nose and reciting the alphabet.

The officer may subjectively decide whether the individual failed the test, or he may decide after applying recently-promulgated federal scoring standards. The NHTSA thinks these tests are a reliable way to gauge sobriety; however, there is mounting evidence that they are anything but.

Many FSTs are based on the concept of divided attention, which occurs when an individual must concentrate on more than one thing at the same time. A driver must divide her attention among various physical and mental activities to safely operate a vehicle, and her ability to do so is significantly reduced by the consumption of alcohol.

Ideally, FSTs evaluate the same mental and physical capabilities that a person needs to drive: information processing; short-term memory; judgment and decision making; steadiness, sure reactions; clear vision; small muscle control; and coordination of the limbs.

The most recently developed of the FSTs is the horizontal gaze nystagmus (HGN) test. HGN does not test a driver’s ability to divide his attention, but it is thought to be an even more accurate means to detect whether a person has consumed alcohol because it measures involuntary eye movement.

Nystagmus is an involuntary oscillation of the eye, and it occurs naturally in human eyes when they focus too far off center (straight ahead). If a sober person tracks an object from side to side, the eyes will follow it smoothly up to a certain point, when they will begin to oscillate. If an intoxicated person tracks an object from side to side, alcohol will make nystagmus more pronounced, meaning the eyes will oscillate sooner.

However, alcohol is not the only cause of pronounced nystagmus. Nystagmus can be caused by inner ear problems, flu, strep throat, measles, syphilis, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, hypertension, glaucoma and epilepsy.

Temporary conditions such as motion sickness, sun stroke, eye strain or fatigue, and changes in atmospheric pressure may also result in nystagmus. Further, the consumption of common substances such as caffeine, nicotine, or aspirin can also lead to nystagmus. An individual’s circadian rhythms or biorhythms also affect nystagmus readings.

The integrity of the original research affirming the validity of the HGN test has been called into question, and in 2001 additional research indicated that the test is improperly administered by most police officers. HGN, however, is not the only FST to be called into question. The entire battery of tests appears to offer dubious evidence of intoxication.

The most obvious problem is that the conditions under which FSTs are given almost guarantee failure: usually late at night; along a graveled or sloped roadside; with unsteady lighting from passing cars’ headlights, the officer’s flashlight and patrol car’s strobe and headlights; and sometimes gusts of wind from intemperate weather or passing cars. The test is given to a person who is usually nervous and possibly frightened.

In 1991, Clemson University conducted a study on the accuracy of FSTs. Police officers were shown videotapes of individuals performing six common FSTs and asked to determine whether they were too intoxicated to drive. The officers concluded that almost half of the people were too drunk to drive; however, unknown to the officers, none of them had consumed any alcohol.

Given the questionable reliability of FSTs, it is no wonder they are surrounded by controversy and DUI defense attorneys often advise people not to submit to them.

Having twice been involved in crashes caused by drunk drivers, Lance Knowlton has a deep appreciation for this ongoing problem. Learn how you can save lives in your community and make money at the same time, go to: http://www.alcoholalert.com/alcohol-breath-testing.html

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The GL Law Group, PLC provides free information on Michigan DUI law and guide to choosing a good Michigan DUI attorney. If you have recently been arrested for a DUI, it’s important to contact a good DUI lawyer soon. A guilty DUI conviction can ruin your life. Contact us to set up a free DUI case review.

By: Denny Soinski

Mandatory alcoholism treatment for people incarcerated for alcohol-related offenses and significant changes in our attitudes toward drinking alcohol, when added to the current anti-drunk driving campaigns and laws, are likely to make a major impact on reducing the number of people in our society who die in alcohol-related traffic accidents.

Three Sobering Facts

An article entitled “Drunk Driving” was featured on the “Insurance Information Institute” website in February of 2007. Pardon the pun, but the following three statistical facts that were discussed in this article are quite “sobering.”

Alcohol-Related Fatalities

First, in spite of increasing the number of anti-drunk driving laws and campaigns, the number of people who died in alcohol-related accidents went down by only .2% from 2004 to 2005 (16,919 in 2004 versus 16,885 in 2005). While every life saved is important, this decrease, from a statistical standpoint, however, was not significant. In other words, the fact that 34 fewer people died in alcohol-related accidents in 2005 than in 2004 could have happened totally by chance rather than because of stricter drunk driving laws or because of the influence of citizen activist groups such as Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD).

Repeat DUI Offenders

Second, even with the passing of stricter DUI laws and consequences, over 50% of US drivers arrested for drunk driving are repeat offenders. This statistic is disturbing when viewed on its own merits. What has also become “newsworthy,” however, is the number of repeat offenders who have received an outrageous number of DUIs.

For instance in early 2006, an Ohio man who received 12 DUIs within a ten-year period of time killed two Hiram college students in an alcohol-related accident. Not surprisingly, many people in the local community were outraged with the driver who accidentally killed the two college students.

What was perhaps more revealing in this case, however, was the number of phone calls made to the radio talk shows by people asking who the judges and prosecutors were and what the consequences were for this driver after he received his 3rd, his 8th, and his 11th DUIs. In other words, people starting asking the “tough questions” regarding the accountability of those who received multiple DUIs as well as the accountability of the judges and prosecutors who were involved in the repeat offenders’ legal proceedings.

Many Drivers with Suspended Licenses Still Drive

Third, 67% of US drivers with suspended licenses still drive. From a logical standpoint, many people must be asking themselves how this is possible in an age of technological advancement that features capabilities such as “real-time” computer access to driver registration information that is available to the law enforcement community.

Drunk Driving Countermeasures

According to the authors of “Drunk Driving,” a number of countermeasures have been undertaken that have targeted alcohol-related fatalities on the US roads. For instance, existing drunk driving laws have become stricter, new laws have been passed, drunk driving task forces have been established by many states, and citizen activist groups such as MADD have influenced some of the attitudes toward drinking and driving in our society.

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By: Atty Gabriel Cosh

In the United States, many people lose their lives each year due to car accidents caused by intoxicated drivers. California is one of the states in the country with the most number of bars, restaurants and other establishments serving liquors to patrons. Consequently, there are a growing number of car accidents caused by having intoxicated drivers. DUI accidents and cases filed and pending in court are already clogging the court dockets in the said state.

Drunk drivers should be held accountable for accidents caused by their intoxication. However, they are not the only ones to be held liable, penalized and prosecuted for these alcohol-related vehicle accidents.

If you are a victim of a driving-under-influence of liquor or DUI accident, you can definitely claim damages against the drunk driver. The usual damages to be sought after include the following:

- property damage, actual medical costs based on your evaluation - treatments, surgeries and rehabilitation and future health care costs when necessary - loss of income for salaries unable to earn due to absence from work, and; - Pain and suffering brought about by the trauma you experienced because of the devastating accident caused by a drunk driver’s negligence.

As you can see, you can claim a lot from the drunk driver including punitive damages aside from the economic ones, as penalty for the grave misconduct committed by the drunk driver. Punishment for drunk drivers would also help to deter others who might be thinking of getting behind the wheels after drinking.

If you are a victim of a vehicle caused by a drunk driver, you need the assistance of an expert car accident and personal injury lawyer to help you claim for damages.

Aside from the drunk drivers themselves, liquor stores can also be made liable for serving liquor drinks to already intoxicated individuals. These establishments must not only think about the profits they earn from selling liquors and intoxicating drinks. They should also be aware that what they serve to their patrons could affect them in such a way that when they leave the establishments, they have to drive a car and they might get into an accident when too intoxicated.

It is negligent for an establishment to serve liquor continuously to already intoxicated patrons. It can be reasonably inferred that these intoxicated patrons may hurt themselves or others once they lost control of their faculties.

Expert car accident lawyers can help you pursue not only the drunk driver but also establishments that serve liquor without monitoring their patrons’ conditions.

Having the right lawyer to pursue your claim would be helpful in holding people accountable and preventing others from committing the same negligent act. This step helps to protect others who might also be involved in DUI accidents.

Our Los Angeles Attorneys are very competent in handling slip and fall injuries and other personal injury related cases.

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The GL Law Group, PLC provides free information on Michigan DUI law and guide to choosing a good Michigan DUI attorney. If you have recently been arrested for a DUI, it’s important to contact a good DUI lawyer soon. A guilty DUI conviction can ruin your life. Contact us to set up a free DUI case review.

By: Atty. Gabriel Cosh

They say that there are always certain things that would not and could never be put together, and despite efforts of having them in the same boat, an inevitable result would be the sinking therefore. A classic example is the marriage of drinking and driving. Alcohol has always been the easy culprit for accidents in the road. The explanation is actually quite simple, in a situation when focus and alertness is needed, alcohol serves as a depressant that would actually lead to failure of this essential senses. As a consequent result, drastic vehicular mishaps are brought about and injuries and lost to countless of lives have been the eventual outcome.

There is no prohibition in going out late at nights, and having a drink or two, or even get wasted if that was your choice, provided of course if you are of age to do so. The prohibition begins when after being drunk, you begin to take the wheel and drive like a madman without regard to the safety of persons and property and even your own life. Alcohol has that effect on the driver of the motor vehicle, that is the primary reason why it is abhorred in our streets.

Drinking under the influence of liquor is far drastic a negligence as opposed to driving without a license, since in the latter at least you are sober and you have the clarity of mind to consider the safety of persons and property. The only negligence is that you really have no authority to drive the vehicle you are currently controlling. As for the former, notwithstanding the fact that you have your license with you, still your state of mind creates a dangerous condition not only to your self, but more so the people around you who do not even have a simple clue that you are indeed drunk and driving with a drugged mind.

Drinking and driving is so grave an offense, that not only would it lead to the suspension or ultimate cancellation of your license to drive a vehicle, but if caught it may even be a reason for your eventual imprisonment. Probation or service to the community are some common penalties for violation of the rule, yet with constant disregard to such rule of conduct, imprisonment has been seen as a good deterrent for habitual malefactors of the said offense. Hence, if you are a victim of an injury brought about by the negligence of a driver who drove despite being drunk, contact your DUI Car Vehicle Accident Lawyers, they would see to it that the appropriate penalty would be meted out upon the guilty driver.

For more information about vehicular accidents visit our Los Angeles Attorneys website

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The GL Law Group, PLC provides free information on Michigan DUI law and guide to choosing a good Michigan DUI attorney. If you have recently been arrested for a DUI, it’s important to contact a good DUI lawyer soon. A guilty DUI conviction can ruin your life. Contact us to set up a free DUI case review.

By: Douglas R.lipton

A number of people charged with this offense are not always guilty. Scholarly research shows that most of the sobriety tests performed are inconclusive. In many cases, chemical tests, breath analyzers (Intoxilyzer 5000), or infrared breath machines are not considered valid. Many of the field sobriety tests performed to judge whether the driver’s motor skills are impaired are considered faulty, as they are not performed uniformly and in many cases the police officers improperly guide and instruct the person. In the hands of an adept criminal lawyer or a DUI lawyer who can argue the credibility of the tests, you can avoid the damages that DUI charges may bring. DUI Lawyers can also obtain a pre-trial ruling through which the sobriety tests can be excluded from being produced as evidence on the grounds of lack of a adequate scientific analysis.

Effects of DUI charges:

· Guaranteed suspension of driver license and driving privileges. In some cases, if you hold driver licenses in more than one state, you can lose both. Suspension can last anywhere from 90 days to 5 years.

· Your vehicle can be sent for impounding.

· Probation.

· Time doing Community Service.

· Heavy fines.

· Mandatory counseling.

· Incarceration (even for first timers).

· House arrest.

· And in most cases, time in prison.

Most of the proficient and experienced DUI attorneys and Criminal Defense Attorney’s will tell you that the majority of people charged with DUI/DWI are not irrational juveniles, but average, law-abiding citizens who were slapped with heavy fines and charges after just two glasses of wine. As laws get tougher, equally tough are the criminal lawyers who can tackle most of the charges. Do not go to an average lawyer who might naively expose you to more liabilities. DUI/DWI offenses are ugly, and if not handled correctly, the charges can accumulate.

If you are wrongly charged, by law you have no reason to be facing charges. So remember the law is on your side. Hire an excellent criminal lawyer with whom you can go through all of the details of the trial. Discuss with them the reason for the charges, and all possible allegations and charges that the opposing counsel might throw at you. Also try to find outstanding character witnesses who will stand by you. Therefore, it is important to hire a knowledgeable DUI lawyer who will guide you in the preparation for the trial and make you aware of all the penalties you may face.

It is important to avoid drunk-driving at any cost; but if you have already been charged, it is imperative that you act quickly. As soon as you are charged with the misdemeanor, contact a skilled DUI Defense Attorney who can help you avoid the harsh penalties. For skilled and expert advice from a San Jose DUI defense attorney, contact Lipton Law Offices today.

This article is written by Douglas R. Lipton the founder of Lipton Law Offices. Mr. Lipton has over thirty years experience in criminal defense and cases involving violation of criminal law in San Jose and surrounding cities in California.

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The GL Law Group, PLC provides free information on Michigan DUI law and guide to choosing a good Michigan DUI attorney. If you have recently been arrested for a DUI, it’s important to contact a good DUI lawyer soon. A guilty DUI conviction can ruin your life. Contact us to set up a free DUI case review.

By: John Luke Matthews

Oh yes, DUI. You’ve heard it all before. In almost every car accident case you will hear, it’s most likely another drunk driver who’s driving late from a party and who got too much alcohol on his system that he speed and ran onto a pedestrian. Fear got into him and away he fled. A classic case of hit and run.

Of course it’s no longer some sensational news. We hear it very often. And we even tell ourselves, “Me, a drunk driver? Hey, I’m not going to be doing that in my lifetime.” But what actually is surprising as far as statistics show is that many of these drivers caught under the influence of alcohol are not really habitual drinkers themselves. It is most likely that these drivers have underestimated the real effects of alcohol in their ability to drive carefully.

Blame it to the myths surrounding alcohol and driving. Most people have different misconceptions about it, but one thing is certain: these misconceptions can be really dangerous. To know the truth means drawing a fine line between life and death as far as driving is concerned. So what are those myths that surround alcohol?

1.) Alcohol stimulates the mind.

This is entirely false. In fact, alcohol is actually a depressant, which depresses cognitive functions of the brain.

2.) A cup of coffee can sober a drunken person.

The effects of coffee does not in any way wear off the effects of alcohol. It only makes you awake, but your brain functions are in an altered state, and will only wear off by time.

3.) Drinking beer will make you less drunk than drinking hard liquor (e.g. scotch, brandy, gin)

It actually doesn’t matter if you drink beer or whisky. It’s the same depressant found on all liquors, and the effects are all the same. Drinking a 12-ounce bottle of beer gives the same intoxicating effect as a one-ounce shot of gin.

4.) Taller and bigger people can handle alcohol better than slimmer, shorter ones.

There are other major factors that can affect the rate of alcohol being absorbed into your body. It’s not just body size, but also your metabolism, the food you ate and the amount of rest you had prior to drinking liquor.

5.) Cold water splashed on the face will take away the drunkenness.

This doesn’t work at all. Period.

6.) Driving slower can greatly reduce the risk of any road accident.

Whatever the speed you’re driving, the fact that your motor reflexes are impaired makes you no less dangerous.

There are actually more myths surrounding drinking and driving, but one thing’s for sure: drinking and driving don’t mix. Time and again, the wise adage holds true: if you drink - don’t drive, and if you drive - don’t drink.

For more information about accident injury cases visit our Los Angeles Accident Lawyers

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The GL Law Group, PLC provides free information on Michigan DUI law and guide to choosing a good Michigan DUI attorney. If you have recently been arrested for a DUI, it’s important to contact a good DUI lawyer soon. A guilty DUI conviction can ruin your life. Contact us to set up a free DUI case review.

By: Carson Danfield

As long as there are human police officers, injustices always will occur. A great many police officers feel they have done their job when they arrest a person for “mere suspicion” of DUI. In some instances, the arrest may be warranted, but sometimes it isn’t. As long as there are human police officers, injustices always will occur. A great many police officers feel they have done their job when they arrest a person for “mere suspicion” of DUI. In some instances, the arrest may be warranted, but sometimes it isn’t.

Although you may think that just because your Blood Alcohol Level is below the state limit, usually 0.08%, that you’ll not be arrested for DUI. Wrong! Actually, you can be arrested for DUI no matter what level of alcohol is in your bloodstream. Even if you haven’t been drinking at all, if the police officer observes anything about you that leads him to believe you may have been drinking, he can arrest you. And then, it’s up to you to prove your innocence.

For example, let’s say that you just finished a fine meal at your favorite restaurant and you had a small glass of wine. An overzealous police officer stops you for a minor traffic violation and smells alcohol on your breath. He immediately arrests you for DUI, slaps on a set of handcuffs and hauls you off to jail.

Once you arrive at the jail, you’re photographed and fingerprinted, then you’re placed in a holding cell, probably along with some pretty unsavory characters. You’ll wait there for what seems like an eternity and eventually you’ll go before a local magistrate who will decide what happens next. He may just assign you a court date and release you, or he may keep you locked up until you post a cash bail. If you don’t post bail, you’ll sit in jail until your court date.

Even when you do get out of jail, it will seem like your troubles are just starting. As a result of your arrest, your car was towed to an impound lot and when you go to retrieve it, you’ll be faced with paying hundreds of dollars in towing, storage and administrative fees.

When your court date finally arrives a few weeks later, you need to be prepared to fight your case by being knowledgeable about the DUI laws of your state. If everything concerning your arrest wasn’t done properly, there’s a good chance you can get the case dismissed and all charges dropped, thereby keeping your record clean. Even if your case does proceed to trial, your guilt must be proven beyond reasonable doubt. Again, this is where you need to be aware of the law and what’s legally required for a conviction.

Keep in mind that the police officer is not your friend. The judge is not your friend. This is a money-making enterprise for them and they would prefer to punish you as much as possible, as quickly as possible so they can move on to the next poor soul who they’ve managed to catch in their snare. If you don’t know your rights and speak up, they’ll just dish out your punishment and move on to the next victim. You will have now been rubber-stamped as a criminal and you’ll have to live with the consequences.

Carson Danfield. Don’t let this happen to you. If you’ve been falsely accused of DUI, you absolutely need to know your rights. Visit DUI-TRIX.com to find out how you can protect yourself from an unjust DUI arrest.

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The GL Law Group, PLC provides free information on Michigan DUI law and guide to choosing a good Michigan DUI attorney. If you have recently been arrested for a DUI, it’s important to contact a good DUI lawyer soon. A guilty DUI conviction can ruin your life. Contact us to set up a free DUI case review.

Though some find it tempting to represent themselves in a drunk driving legal case, having a competent attorney, familiar with drunk driving cases is really a necessity. There’s often a chance the case may be dismissed depending on the circumstances.

If searching for a particular attorney for this situation there are state-wide, country-wide, city-wide and zip-code search functionalities online and off.

It’s always so much better not to get in that predicament in the first place. Bear in mind that if you are convicted in a DUI case, you may lose your license, or get your license and car impounded. You may have to pay a heavy fine or you may land in prison.

The arrests in DUI cases are rising because of new, more stringent laws and regulations that have been introduced in many states.

If you still must select a DUI attorney, be careful. Select a competent attorney who has some good experience in DUI cases and he will be the best defense tool for you.

Drunk driving cases are also called Driving Under the Influence (DUI), Driving While Intoxicated (DWI), Driving While Ability Impaired (DWAI) etc.

It’s very possible that your alcohol concentration will be measured by way of blood, breath, urine or saliva at the time of arrest. You may be charged with offense of intoxication, impairment or influence by the law depending on the version of the investigating officer and the eyewitnesses.

Your attorney can explain the consequences to you after assessing your case so you will be prepared to defend yourself against those consequences. The laws vary from one place to another and it may be difficult for you to know the local “law of the land”. He can help you understand the possibility of license problems, imprisonment, community service etc. He/She will let you know if there are any special laws regarding underage drunk driving and BAC above the limit.

A drunk driving attorney will be able to manage the whole process for you. All the proceedings in drunk driving cases may be frustrating and time consuming. But that’s the price you pay. Fortunately you have legal assistance able to represent you in court. Perhaps the technicalities will help you to do it smoothly and come out with lesser punishment.Learn more about stats, arrests, accidents and legal ramifications involved with drunk driving. http://www.drivingdrunk.org

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The GL Law Group, PLC provides free information on Michigan DUI law and guide to choosing a good Michigan DUI attorney. If you have recently been arrested for a DUI, it’s important to contact a good DUI lawyer soon. A guilty DUI conviction can ruin your life. Contact us to set up a free DUI case review.

By: Denny Soinski

An Issue of Mixed Messages

How can something as prevalent, accepted, and accessible in our society as drinking alcohol be so harmful, unhealthy, AND illegal when consumed at or slightly above moderate intake levels? The simple asking of this question immediately uncovers a number of issues, one of which is the mixed messages that exist in our society about drinking alcohol.

The Accessibility and Acceptability of Alcohol

On the one hand, consider the thousands upon thousands of bars and taverns in the United States. Now add to this list the restaurants, night clubs, sporting events, festivals, state fairs, hotels, casinos, carnivals, etc. where alcoholic beverages are regularly served. Moreover, add the grocery stores, liquor stores, beverage stores, the Convenient Food Marts, the 7/11 stores, and the state stores where an adult can legally purchase as many bottles, cans, and/or cases of alcoholic beverages as he or she desires.

Drinking Alcohol is Cool

Not only is alcohol extremely accessible in our society but there are also a number of factors that reinforce the idea that drinking alcohol is “cool.” For instance, consider beer advertisements and commercials on TV. Indeed, it can be argued that some of the most memorable, funniest, and “best” commercials and advertisements on TV have been those that were associated with drinking beer. To push the point further, why would beer manufacturers spend millions of dollars for a commercial during the Super Bowl if this expenditure did not lead to more sales? From a slightly different perspective, consider professional athletes and movie stars who, by their actions and advertisements, reinforce the idea that drinking alcohol is “cool.”

Religious Rituals and Cultural Traditions

When religious rituals that make use of alcohol, cultural traditions that encourage drinking alcohol, special events and holidays that are associated with drinking alcohol, and the increasing popularity of adding alcohol to food for enhanced flavor–when all of these are factored into the equation, it becomes obvious that alcohol is deeply ingrained in our society. The point: when people are surrounded with alcohol and bombarded by events, traditions, holidays, and advertisements that are alcohol-related, it becomes part of their socialization process that in turn makes it easier to simply accept that they should drink alcohol if they are to “fit in” and become members of our society.

Alcohol Abuse and Drinking While Driving

If the prevalence, acceptability, and accessibility of alcohol represent the one side of the coin regarding the mixed messages in our society, then the dangerousness, unhealthiness, and illegality represents the other. Indeed, consider the numerous negative and harmful messages and statistics associated with alcohol abuse and drinking while driving that we have heard from the medical community, federal government, police, politicians, organizations such as MADD, and school and college administrators.

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By: Lance Knowlton

Technically, Breathalyzer is a proprietary name for piece of testing equipment that determines blood alcohol concentration (BAC). There are two other types of devices that measure BAC, Intoxilyzer and Alcosensor, and they work differently than the Breathalyzer. This article will explain how each one works.

All three devices require a person to exhale into them. That is because they all work on the same principle of testing, which is that alcohol shows up in the breath because it is absorbed into the bloodstream, not digested, where its chemical composition remains unchanged. As the blood flows through the lungs, the alcohol in it, which is volatile, evaporates into the lungs.

There is a mathematical relationship between the amount of alcohol in the lungs and the amount of alcohol in the blood, and it can be manipulated to determine how much alcohol is in the blood without actually drawing any. All BAC testing equipment measures alcohol in the breath and uses this formula to calculate how much alcohol is in the blood. Accordingly, all the devices have a mouthpiece through which the test subject blows air and a sample chamber to hold the air. Beyond that, each device is different.

The Breathalyzer detects alcohol by monitoring a chemical reaction that produces a color change. Besides the mouthpiece and sample chamber, it consists of two glass vials to contain the chemical reaction and a system of photocells connected to a meter. The air is bubbled through one vial containing a chemical mixture and into another vial. From that vial, the air is passed over the photocells so the meter can measure the color change and calculate the BAC.

Alcosensor works by detecting the occurrence of a chemical reaction of alcohol in a fuel cell. The fuel cell has two platinum electrodes with a porous acid-electrolyte material layered between them. As the exhaled air flows past the electrodes, the platinum oxidizes any alcohol in the air to produce acetic acid, protons and electrons. The electrons flow through a wire connecting the first electrode and an electrical-current meter and the second electrode, which converts the other particles into water. The more alcohol oxidized, the greater the electrical current. A microprocessor measures the electrical current and calculates the BAC.

The Intoxilyzer detects alcohol by infrared spectroscopy, which identifies molecules based on the way they absorb light. Each molecule absorbs light differently so alcohol molecules can be identified, counted and fed into the formula by computer. In the Intoxilyzer, a lamp generates a multiple wavelength infrared beam. The beam passes through the sample chamber and is focused by a lens onto a spinning filter wheel. The wheel contains band filters for the specific wavelength of alcohol. The light passing through the filter is detected by a photocell, where it is converted into an electrical pulse. Each pulse is relayed to a small computer which uses them to calculate the BAC.

Each device is a sophisticated piece of testing equipment that must be calibrated before each use. Police officers are often trained on how to use and calibrate them, and DUI defense attorneys often get the results of the tests thrown out based on improper use or calibration.With nearly 17,000 alcohol-related deaths in the US each year, drunk driving is still a big problem. How many deaths so far this year? See our Death Clock here: http://www.alcoholalert.com/deathclock.html . Learn how you can alert possible drunk driving in your community and earn money at the same time, visit: http://www.alcoholalert.com/alcohol-breath-testing.html .

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The GL Law Group, PLC provides free information on Michigan DUI law and guide to choosing a good Michigan DUI attorney. If you have recently been arrested for a DUI, it’s important to contact a good DUI lawyer soon. A guilty DUI conviction can ruin your life. Contact us to set up a free DUI case review.