Mirror of Justice

Breathalyzers Designed for Clubs, Bars, Alcohol Venues, Aim to Prevent Drunk Driving

July 17th, 2009 at 09:02am Under Drunk Driving Law

Breathalyzers Designed for Clubs, Bars, Alcohol Venues, Aim to Prevent Drunk Driving

Andatech, the company who pioneered the consumer market for breath alcohol testers, is encouraging owners of bars, clubs, entertainment venues and other establishments that serve alcohol to install a fixed or bartop coin operated breathalyzer machine in their place of business.

Although bartenders are trained to recognize when a patron has had too much to drink, an onsite breathalyzer supports their decision. When customers actually see their blood alcohol concentration (BAC), they are less likely to get into their car and drive.

The Andatech AL3500F works like similar vending machines, with step-by-step audio and visual cues to direct the user when taking the breath test and reading its results. It is equipped with fuel cell technology, which provides the highest rate of blood alcohol concentration (BAC) accuracy. To begin the alcohol test, the Andatech AL3500F dispenses a cylindrical straw for the user to breathe into so the sensor can calculate alcohol content. The BAC results are provided within 10 seconds.

The compact bartop design of the Andatech AL3500F is unobtrusive and allows for privacy when testing. It can be placed on the top of a bar, on a corner table, or mounted on a wall.

According to an Andatech spokesperson, the coin operated breathalyzer is being well received by owners of bars, clubs, pubs and entertainment venues because the device enables them to promote safe driving in a way that doesn’t impact their bar revenue. Most establishments that serve alcohol realize most of their profit from drink sales.

As a coin operated breath test, the Andatech AL3500F also offers alcohol-serving establishments an additional means of earning supplementary revenue because once they make the initial investment of purchasing the breathalyzer, they retain all the earnings from it. This earning incentive motivates staff to encourage patrons to use the breathalyzer to determine their blood alcohol concentration before getting into their car to drive.

By installing a coin operated bartop breathalyzer, liquor establishments can take a more active role in promoting responsible drinking and safe driving. It is expected that the effort will cut down on the number of drunken driving accidents and death.

Headquartered in Australia, Andatech is the industry leader in personal and professional alcohol detection breathalyzers. The company distributes breathalyzer devices developed for personal, workplace, transportation safety and law enforcement use. Vending opportunities for the Andatech AL3500F are also available.

Getting Stopped for Drunk Driving –the Police Officer’s Observations

July 17th, 2009 at 03:02am Under Drunk Driving Law

When an officer pulls a driver over in the dark evening hours, he or she is on the alert to see if the driver is under the influence. He or she begins observations when approaching the car.
As the driver rolls down the window, the officer is checking to see if the driver smells of alcohol, if the eyes are watery or bloodshot, if the driver is having trouble retrieving his or her license, and if the driver’s speech is thick or slurred. If the officer does not have reason to believe the driver is under the influence, he or she must allow the driver to drive off. The officer cannot order the driver out of the car to complete the field sobriety tests unless he or she has probable cause to continue the investigation.
Smell of alcohol
The smell of alcohol may be in the car even if the driver is not the one who’s been drinking. If there is a passenger, the passenger may have been drinking. If the driver has been in a bar, he or she most likely smells of stale cigarette smoke and alcohol, even if he or she had nothing to drink.
Blood shot, watery eyes
Blood shot, watery eyes may have several causes. The driver may be operating on very little sleep, may have worked all day at a computer terminal, may be suffering from a cold or allergies, or may look as he or she always does. Remember that the officer has never seen the driver before and has nothing to compare his or her observations to.
Trouble with finding the license
People organize wallets in many different ways. Some don’t separate their credit cards from their driver’s license. And some people couldn’t find their license if they were stone sober in broad daylight. This factor alone says nothing about the driver’s state of sobriety.
Slurred speech
While an officer may associate slurred speech with driving under the influence, it may also be a side effect of certain medications or medical conditions. Remember the officer has never spoken to the driver before and therefore, has no idea how his or her voice “should” sound. If the topic comes up in court, the officer should be questioned on how many other times he has spoken to the driver (none) and how the driver’s voice was different from his or her usual speaking style.
While the officer may assert that some or all of these factors are indicative of intoxication, an experienced attorney knows there may be an innocent explanation.
For this and more information on criminal law and drunk driving go to:
www.gottrouble.com/legal/criminal/drunk_driving/index.html

Got Stopped by Police – Drunk Driving Trouble

July 16th, 2009 at 09:02am Under Drunk Driving Law

Most drunk driving cases start out with a contact between the driver of a motor vehicle and a police officer. While the police have the right to approach and speak with any citizen, they do not have the right to detain and investigate a citizen unless they have “probable cause”.
Probable cause is the legal reason an officer needs to detain and investigate. If the dui attorney can show to the judge the officer did not have probable cause, the case can be dismissed.
Most detentions begin with the officer pulling over a driver who has committed a vehicle code infraction. The common reasons alleged by the police are based on poor driving – speeding, weaving within or outside the lane, running of a stop sign or red light. However, faulty equipment (head light, tail light, muffler) or expired registration will provide the necessary reason to pull a driver over. A driver involved in an accident or in a car blocking the roadway may also give the officer the right to detain and investigate.
It is therefore important to discuss with the dui attorney the manner of driving. If the driver was acting legally, or if the officer did not see the driver actually operate the vehicle, the case may be dismissed. Not only does the officer need probable cause to detain and investigate, there must also be a legal reason to arrest. The officer will make his decision to arrest based on two or three factors: his observations, the field sobriety test, and in some jurisdictions, a breath test conducted in the field.
For this and more information on criminal law and drunk driving go to:
www.gottrouble.com/legal/criminal/drunk_driving/index.html