No matter how many thousands of people die each year because of drunk drivers, people all over continue to get behind the wheel after a night of drinking. Thankfully, there are more and more roadblocks in place for drivers who drive drunk. One of the most common and effective ways of stopping a drunk driver is through a breath test.

The most common type of breath test is done through a breathalyzer. This is a device that the person has to blow into. It is portable, and most police officers carry one in their car in case they suspect someone of being drunk behind the wheel. Once the person has blown into the device, it records their blood alcohol content level. If that level is higher than 0.08, then the officer has justifiable reason to arrest the person for driving while intoxicated. The person who is subjected to the test is not legally allowed to refuse it. There are laws in place in most states that require the person to submit to a breathalyzer at the request of an officer of the law. Failure to comply with the breath test can give the officer reason to take away the person’s license. Therefore, it is not advisable to refuse any type of breath test.

Another popular method of detecting whether someone is too drunk to drive a car is standardized field tests. These are tests that are usually done on the side of the road that judge the person’s mental and physical capabilities. Unlike breath testing, this is a voluntary test. The officer cannot require anyone to take part in any sort of field test. However, if the person does agree to participate and they fail the test, this can give the courts grounds to convict them.

The punishments in drunk driving vary since every case is different. For a first offense, you can expect to have your license revoked for a few months and be required to pay a fine. If you are convicted again, you could face jail time. Most times your license will then be suspended for a much longer time. The judge also could require you to attend drunk driving school at this point. Drunk driving school is designed to show people convicted of driving under the influence just how terrible and dangerous their actions could be. A new development in the fight against drunk driving is the device that is installed on the ignition of the convicted drunk driver. Every time that they want to start their cars, they will have to blow into a device. If there is any alcohol on their breath, the car won’t start.

If you have been in an accident that was caused by a drunk driver, then you need to talk to a lawyer immediately. You have many rights in this type of situation and they will be able to get you the money that you deserve. It is certainly not your fault that someone else decided to get behind the wheel after drinking and caused an accident, so you shouldn’t have to pay for the damages. There are many lawyers that specialize in prosecuting drunk drivers. They have been doing this for years and are experts in their field, so they will be able to get you the restitution that you deserve. Contact a qualified attorney today and discuss all of your legal options.