If you’ve ever known someone who was charged with a DUI, or have been found guilty yourself, you might be wondering just how your blood alcohol level is actually found out. When you are involved in an accident that involves driving under the influence, you will most likely have to take a breathalyzer test or go to the doctor to get your blood drawn. There are three different blood alcohol content (BAC) tests available, which include blood, breath, and urine.
Drunk driving is a serious offense. The annual cost of alcohol-related crashes is more than $59 billion.
A person is considered legally intoxicated after their BAC reaches 0.8%. Once someone is convicted of a DUI, you may have to install an interlock device. This device is required to start your car and is installed into your vehicle. You must breathe into the device, and if your BAC is too high, the vehicle will not turn on. The data from your interlock will also be sent to authorities.
Interlock devices can be embarrassing and one way to hide your interlock device is with an interlock cup. An interlock cup makes your interlock device much more discreet by hiding it in what looks like a travel mug. Then, those that sit in your vehicle will not have to know you have an ignition interlock device. Simply breathe into the interlock cup and you will get your reading. This can be great for those who do not want their coworkers or family members to know that they have an interlock device in their vehicle.
Before we get to the interlock device, though, you might be wondering how a blood test to measure BAC actually works.
A blood alcohol test works by measuring how much ethanol is in your body, and alcohol is actually absorbed into the blood stream within minutes. The amount of alcohol that is in your blood is the highest after an hour of drinking.
Driving under the influence is very serious and dangerous. If you often go to parties or out to dinner(and enjoy a glass of wine), you might want to keep a car breathalyzer with you to know if you are under the legal limit for alcohol so you do not risk getting a DUI. It is legal to have a discreet breathalyzer with you to make sure you are keeping yourself and others safe. However, it is important to know that in many states, you can still be arrested for having a BAC below 0.08.
If you have had a DUI conviction and have to have an interlock device in your car, try not to be too upset. You can hide it using an interlock cup and in the end, the device is there to keep yourself and others safe on the road.