Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is a measure of the amount of alcohol in the bloodstream. Driving with a BAC of 0.08 percent or higher is automatically considered illegal in every U.S. state, but you may also be stopped for driving under the influence (DUI) if your driving shows signs of impairment, even if your BAC is below 0.08 percent. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a person’s driving changes in predictable ways as his or her BAC goes up, allowing law enforcement to detect drunk drivers.
At 0.02 percent, many drivers typically begin to experience a slowdown in their ability to track a moving object and a lesser ability to multitask, both of which are key skills when driving. These symptoms are expected to increase as the BAC reaches 0.05 percent, along with difficulty steering and a slower response to emergency situations that require a quick stop or swerve.
At or near a BAC of 0.08 percent, a driver typically starts to lose the ability to concentrate, retain short-term memories, or control the speed of a motor vehicle. Perceptions like vision and hearing may also be impaired, leading drivers to misjudge the location of other cars, intersections, or signals. These symptoms usually get worse the higher the BAC climbs, leading eventually to an inability to keep the car in its lane or to brake properly. However, a person’s BAC does not always match these descriptions of what law enforcement typically deciphers for these different BAC levels.
A NH drunk driving conviction can mean serious consequences. If you’re facing a DUI charge, the experienced New Hampshire DUI attorneys at Tenn And Tenn, P.A. can help. For a free and confidential consultation by phone, call us today at (603) 624-3700.
A breathalyzer, or breath testing machine, analyzes a sample of your breath and produces a number that estimates your blood alcohol concentration (BAC). Breath alcohol testing machines are commonly used by police stopping people on suspicion of drunk driving since they offer an easy way to estimate whether a driver’s BAC is over the legal limit of 0.08 percent or not. In order to understand how these machines work, it’s important to know how the alcohol you drink winds up on your breath.
When you take a drink of alcohol, the liquid enters your stomach where it is temporarily stopped by the valve at the bottom of the stomach known as the pyloric sphincter. Some alcohol is absorbed into your blood through the walls of the stomach, but the majority of it is absorbed in the part of the small intestine that hooks up to the pyloric sphincter, known as the duodenum. This is one reason that eating while drinking alcohol makes the alcohol work more slowly: as you eat, you encourage the pyloric sphincter to stay closed, keeping most of the alcohol from being absorbed in the intestines.
As the alcohol enters the small intestine and is absorbed into the bloodstream, it travels throughout the body, including into the lungs. The lungs contain membranes called alveoli which spread the blood out so that it can release carbon dioxide for you to breathe out and soak up oxygen taken in when you breathe in. When the blood drops off the carbon dioxide, it also drops off a certain amount of alcohol molecules. This alcohol is what’s measured by a breath testing machine.
If you’re facing drunk driving charges in New Hampshire, please don’t hesitate to call the experienced New Hampshire DUI defense attorneys at Tenn And Tenn, P.A. We will examine your case carefully and help you build an aggressive defense that protects your rights and gets the best possible outcome in your case. For more information, call us today at (603) 624-3700 for a free and confidential telephone consultation.
There are plenty of old wives’ tales about remedies to help people who have been drinking to “sober up†more quickly, whether it’s because they need to drive a car, be able to work, or perform some other task that’s hard to do if one has been drinking.
When a person has a drink containing alcohol, the alcohol first travels into the stomach. It then enters the small intestine, where it is absorbed into the blood. In the blood, alcohol can travel to every part of the body, including the brain, where it affects critical thinking skills, memory, and reaction times. The alcohol in the bloodstream also travels to the liver, which metabolizes the alcohol and takes it out of the blood. Once the alcohol is metabolized, it can no longer affect brain function, and the person “sobers up.”
It takes the average human body about one hour to process one-half ounce of alcohol, or approximately the amount of alcohol in one drink. Some actions, such as eating along with a drink, keeps the alcohol from entering the bloodstream as quickly, which can reduce the amount of intoxication a person initially experiences. However, no amount of cold showers or black coffee will sober someone up more quickly, because these things do not help the liver to metabolize the alcohol more quickly.
Choosing a designated driver can help you avoid a drunk driving arrest. If you’ve been charged with DWI in New Hampshire, the experienced New Hampshire DWI defense lawyers at Tenn And Tenn, P.A. may be able to help. We will examine your case carefully and fight to protect your rights while seeking the best possible outcome in your case. To discuss your case free of charge, call Tenn And Tenn, P.A. today at 1-888-511-1010 for a free telephone consultation.
Researchers in Massachusetts are working on a car that will sense whether its driver is too intoxicated to drive, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. The car uses sensors to estimate the driver’s blood alcohol content (BAC), and if the driver’s BAC surpasses a pre-set level, the car will not start.
Cars equipped with the new technology will be able to sense a driver’s BAC in a few different ways, according to researchers. Some cars will use breath testing devices, similar to the ignition interlock devices (IID) already used in many states, including New Hampshire. New breath test sensors will test breath automatically and in less than a second. Others will use sensors installed in places drivers touch frequently, like the steering wheel or door locks, to test the driver’s skin to determine whether the driver’s BAC is above the legal limit.
The research is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation, which estimates that the new technology will keep thousands of drunk drivers off the road each year. However, the sensor-equipped cars will not be available commercially for approximately ten years.
If you’re facing a drunk driving charge in New Hampshire, you need aggressive, experienced representation from a New Hampshire DWI lawyer. The lawyers at Tenn And Tenn, P.A. will thoroughly and carefully examine your case and fight to protect your rights while working for the best possible outcome. To schedule a free case evaluation, call Tenn And Tenn, P.A. at 1-888-511-1010 today.
