A breathalyzer test is the last thing any motorist wants to take after having a few drinks away from home. But a new consumer-targeted breathalyzer device small enough to fit in your pocket, as described in a St. Louis Post-Dispatch article, just might prevent accidents, embarrassing calls home or even a few deaths.
If the AlcoHawk Slim Ultra becomes as popular as the iPhone, it could cut into the business of Philadelphia DUI lawyers (but don't hold your breath). At $69.99, they're considerably more affordable than paying the fines and other expenditures that come with a DUI conviction in Pennsylvania.
The devices require calibration at least annually, depending on frequency of use, at a cost of between $19.99 and $29.99. The company recommends that customers who use it a few times a month calibrate the AlcoHawk every six months.
So the cost of ownership should be taken into consideration. But still, it compares quite favorably to a night in the tank, multiple court dates, fines and other ripple effects of a DUI.
Reporter Evan S. Benn said he took a test unit for a spin. He ate a "normal-size" dinner before downing three 12-ounce beers with an average of about 8 percent alcohol content each within two hours. He blew into the device one hour later and registered a .08 percent, right at the legal limit in Pennsylvania.
After another hour he drank another beer. This raised his blood-alcohol content slightly to .09 percent; so he switched to water and tried it again after another hour, again registering a .09 percent reading. He gave the AlcoHawk the equivalent of a thumbs-up:
The bottom line: I'd rather be caught blowing into a personal breathalyzer at the end of a night than be doing it on the side of a road while a police officer tests me for [DUI].
But even if the AlcoHawk holds the promise to reduce DUI incidents, Philadelphia DUI attorneys always will be your best friend when a night on the town turns into an arrest.
Related Resources:
-
Drunk Driving: Elements of the Offense (FindLaw)
-
Breathalyzer Testing Questioned, Again, In Florida (FindLaw's KnowledgeBase)
-
Find a Philadelphia DUI Lawyer (FindLaw)
