Drunk Driving Terms and Vocabulary to Know
Posted: Monday, April 14, 2008
by Maria Palma
Freelance Writer
When you've been arrested for drunk driving, you'll discover that a DUI comes with its own terms and vocabulary which are often are misunderstood. It's important to understand DUI lingo when talking to the police or the court. Your DUI lawyer can help you understand these terms or you can just go through the list of words below:
Administrative License Revocation - otherwise known as a driver's license suspension. A suspension is given by a state agency such as the Department of Motor Vehicles.
BAC - "Blood Alcohol Content" or the percentage of alcohol in a driver's body
BAL - "Blood Alcohol Level" or "Breath Alcohol Level"; it's been shown that blood alcohol tests are more accurate
Breathalyzer - A device used by police officers to measure the BAC (blood alcohol content) when a person has been pulled over for suspicion of drunk driving.
Burn Off - In regards to DUI cases, this is the body's ability to metabolize alcohol and release it from the body. The burn off rate is different for each person.
Chemical Test - this is a type of DUI test that determines the concentration of alcohol in a person's blood
Enhancements - The circumstances surrounding a DUI that could cause an increase in penalties for the offender. Some of these circumstances may include, but are not limited to: driving intoxicated with a minor in the car, causing injury or death to another, or a history of drunk driving in the past.
Extrapolation - This is a method used by law enforcement to determine the blood alcohol level of a driver. They look at a driver's weight, their age, how much alcohol they drank during a certain period of time, and when the DUI offender consumed their last alcoholic drink.
Felony Drunk Driving - In most cases, drunk driving is treated as a misdemeanor. However, sometimes there are cases in which a person is killed or the driver has quite a few prior convictions. These types of incidences are considered felony drunk driving cases. This could lead to a harsher sentence for the defendant.
Ignition Interlock - Also known as an IID, or ignition interlock device. A machine installed in a car which checks the driver's blood alcohol level. The driver breathes into the IID and if it finds alcohol above a certain limit, the car will not be able to start.
Per Se Laws - laws that concede someone is guilty of drunk driving if his/her blood alcohol level is above the legal limit. For most states the legal limit is .08%.
Wet Reckless - A plea in a DUI case that could possibly result in a reduced charge, a lower fine, and no record for a DUI conviction. If the defendant is just over the BAC legal limit, there was no accident or damage caused, or doesn't have any prior convictions, it is possible to enter a wet reckless plea.
Zero Tolerance - This is the allowable blood alcohol content (BAC) for minors. Maria Palma is a freelance writer committed to helping people with their San Diego DUI. Make sure to hire a professional and experienced DUI San Diego attorneys. Read the San Diego DUI Blog.
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