What is BAC?
BAC stands for blood alcohol content, or the percentage of alcohol found in a person’s blood after they have consumed alcohol. This measurement is used as the standard for determining a person’s level of drunkenness and whether he or she is legally intoxicated. Each state in the U.S. has set a legal BAC limit as a guideline for when a person can be detained for drunk driving. In Rhode Island, a BAC of .08% or higher qualifies as drunk driving and can lead to an arrest for driving under the influence, or DUI.
Unfortunately, however, problems with BAC testing can lead to an innocent individual being charged with DUI. If you believe that you have been wrongfully charged with DUI, or if you need help handling drunk driving accusations against you, contact tenacious Rhode Island DUI defense attorney Matthew Marin today at 401-287-4384.
How BAC is Measured
Scientifically speaking, the only accurate way to determine a person’s blood alcohol content is to administer a blood test. Blood is drawn from the person in question and analyzed to determine the amount of alcohol per volume. However, in police investigations it is often inconvenient to take the time to administer a blood test to determine a person’s level of drunkenness. Instead, the police often rely on an estimation of BAC by administering a Breathalyzer test.
BAC and Breathalyzer Inaccuracies
Frustratingly, a Breathalyzer is not always a reliable way to measure blood alcohol content. Many people have been wrongly arrested for drunk driving because of a poor Breathalyzer reading. Instead of measuring BAC directly as a blood test does, a Breathalyzer measures breath alcohol content and then uses a complex calculation to estimate a person’s BAC. While a Breathalyzer can sometimes yield accurate results, in other cases it can grossly overestimate the BAC, causing police to arrest a driver based on evidence that is questionable at best.
Contact Us
If you have been arrested for drunk driving because of a BAC reading from a blood or Breathalyzer test, you may need an experienced Rhode Island DUI defense lawyer to defend your rights and your good name. To learn more about building your defense against a DUI or other alcohol-related charge, contact attorney Matthew Marin today at 401-287-4384.
