Operating a motor vehicle requires a significant amount of focus and care. Driving while impaired can affect your ability to safely operate your vehicle, causing you to become a public safety hazard. Law enforcement officers have a number of ways to determine if you are impaired while behind the wheel, and understanding these diagnostic methods is critical when it comes to successfully navigating a DUI or DWI charge.
Here are two tools an officer can use to tell if you are driving while impaired.
1. By using a breathalyzer.
One of the most common tools used by law enforcement officers when trying to determine if an individual has had too much to drink is a breathalyzer. The officer will ask you to blow into the breathalyzer, and the device will measure whether or not your blood alcohol content exceeds state limits.
It's important to recognize that breathalyzers may not always be correct. Different manufacturers use different types of sensor technologies, creating a wide variation in accuracy. It may be possible for you to dispute the results of your breathalyzer test, so be sure to discuss your options with a knowledgeable and experienced DUI attorney.
2. By using a textalyzer.
One of the newest tools available to law enforcement officers is a textalyzer. Driving while trying to send text messages can cause you to become seriously distracted, impeding your ability to safely maneuver your vehicle through traffic.
As a result of the dangers associated with driving while texting, many states have made this activity illegal. In order to determine if you were using your phone during a traffic accident or other incident, an officer can connect your phone to a textalyzer. The textalyzer will analyze your activity and return a list of apps that were opened along with a timestamp showing when the app was last in use.
Officers can use this information to prove that you were texting while driving. If a textalyzer was used as evidence when you received a DUI or DWI, be sure that you discuss how this tool can affect your defense with an attorney who has experience defending against textatlyzer results.
Being charged with driving while impaired can be frightening. By taking the time to understand how a police officer determined you were impaired, you will be able to work closely with your DUI lawyer to mount a defense that will stand up in a court of law.