Can you request a breathylyser test if you see a police officer and are unsure if you are over the legal limit

Question

I mean, yes it's best not to drink/drive at all, but If you've literally had one to two drinks over a long period of time, I wonder if anybody has ever tried doing this, and what response you get? Do they class you as a "time waster", or the exact opposite with the "good to be cautious approach"?. I drink two double vodkas ONLY in total, over a period of five hours, but often get a taxi home to be safe, but wonder if that amount IS actually over the limit?

Answer 1

I think that's a great idea, but as the above poster says, they might want to ration their equipment for suspects instead of volunteers!

If you can be bothered, I think you can buy a keyring-sized breathylyser from ebay.

Answer 2

It isn't just how much you had to drink, it's when you stopped drinking.  If you only had 2 drinks in 5 hours, AND it had been at least an hour between those two drinks, AND it had been at least an hour between you having that last drink and starting to drive, you're almost certainly fine.  

If you're too drunk to keep track, you're too drunk to drive.

Anyhow, without a breathalyser or blood test, your chance of getting off is pretty good.  Field sobriety tests are horseshit, and you should ask for a breathalyser.  Yes, you should ask for one.  So WHAT if you're "wasting" their time?  If they charge you with DUI because you couldn't recite the alphabet backwards, they're going to be wasting a h**l of a lot of YOUR time.  

The legal limit is .08 percent blood alcohol content in most states.  How many drinks that amounts to depends on how big you are, how much you've had to eat (food slows absorbtion), and how fast you're drinking them.  

Wikipedia lists a method of estimating your BAC, but if you're drinking slowly enough and have enough food in you, you can slow the absorbtion so that you never quite reach the level such a method assumes you'd reach.  (But that's okay because you're looking to keep UNDER a certain level)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_alcoh...

But seriously dude, stop drinking a couple hours before you drive.

Answer 3

Hi Seo,

I have always given a BT when asked by the public, but i need to clear this grey area up...

If you tell a cop you had a drink, or they smell intoxicating liqour on your breath or have been in a RTC, in the England and Wales, then they can request by law for you to supply a specimen of breath for analysis.

If you are not driving at all and you ask a favour, then you may get a polite refusal, depending on the officer, nothing saying you cant ask, no your never a time waster, as long as your polite and to the point, i would always talk and offer advice, thats what im therefore !!

But if you have driven a motor vehicle and want to know, be prepared for the worst. As after you have asked for it, then theres no going back, if then you refuse you could be arrested and look at a court appearance.

But there are some handheld devices available from shops in england, but note these are not accurate, as i have tried these myself.

But the addage is really, if you drink, please dont drive, if you are ever in doubt, then you really know the answer....

Hope this helps..a little...

happy New Year

Answer 4

As they have to use a new tube every time they do a test it costs the police when they do a test so I dont think they would give one at a request.

Answer 5

The Police view is quite simple.

If you have any reason to believe that you are over the legal limit, then you must not even consider driving.

If you asked a Police Officer to take a breath test, he/she will repeat the above and refuse you the test. If you ignore their advice and start the car engine, then you will be told to stop and be given a breath test. If you fail it, you do not have a defence in law, because you had admitted to the Officer that you were unsure of your legal status to drive.

Two double vodkas in the space of five hours is almost certainly going to be above the legal limit for the next twelve hours - longer if your stomach is empty!

Answer 6

I don't know about where you live, but in Houston the cops do not carry breathylizers with them in their car.  They would have to take you downtown to the police station to do one.  I wouldn't risk it if I were you!

Answer 7

You can request anything from anyone, anytime.....    kinda like a green light.   green does not mean it's safe to go, just means it's legal to go.....

Answer 8

on phoning a good friend i will say its an individual thing.some may say no for the reason of the first answer.but quite a few will Say yes if you were genuinely asking .he said  " i would as its better to prevent than to find the same person later in an RTA due to being over the limit"if in doubt don't do it"but if i thought anyone was taking the mick it would be time wasting."....me personally id say don't risk it.it ain't worth it

Answer 9

On average, the human body can metabolize one alcoholic drink per hour.

1 shot of hard liquor

1 6oz. glass of wine

1 beer

So, If you have three drinks, wait at least 3 hours before you even think of driving.

Answer 10

i think  is bad to drink and drive but drinking is fine as long as you don't drive

Answer 11

It would be a silly thing to do,or even try.If you have your car keys in your pocket you can be charged with being drunk in charge of a motor vehicle.

Answer 12

if you do that your jumping out of frying pan into fire dont drink if your driving in first place the yl                    nick you any way just for having car keys in your possession

Answer 13

Not every officer is certified or qualified to do the BA test.  And with every test done, not only is there a cost to doing the test, but there is proper procedure and paperwork that must be done.  I doubt very much they would do the formal breath test, but they might run you through the field test, but be aware if you don't pass you could be arrested on a charge of "Drunk in public."

Answer 14

Hmm As long as you are not standing there with your keys in your hand or attempting to drive you could ask, but the machines are only an indication of the level of alcohol in your breath at the time of ther test, and not a permission to drive as 10 minutes later your alcohol level could infact rise and you be unfit to drive..

MAPLIN and NORTHERNTOOL.UK both sell a pocket alcometer which gives you a comparison, again it isn't a valid excuse to drive.

You can ask at your local police training school if you could volunteer for a "training" session when officers are training to use the breathaliser used for court purposes, They will then give you a breakdown and readout of how your body processes the alcohol.. You will be supprised how long the alcohol stays in your system.

TRUST ME you don't want to drive after 2 double vodka's even if you drunk them over a 5 hour period.  the alcohol will be in your blood stream for a further 10 - 15 hours.

Answer 15

Buy one:  http://www.shopping.com/xGS-Alcohol_Brea...

Go to http://www.google.com and search:  "alcohol breath analyzer"  you'll get hundreds of ideas.

Answer 16

It takes some amount of time after you drink before it fully registers on the breath test (it has to get from your stomach to your blood and from your blood to your breath), so a test before you drive would not tell you if you would still be under the limit when you reached your destination.

Answer 17

No you cannot ask a police man to do a test on you every time you go out for a drink and think you may be over the limit.

Try using common sense.

ja.

Answer 18

If you are unsure I would say that they would not waste the time and or money to do this just to help up, instead they would likely arrest you for public intoxication.

Good luck and drive safe.

Answer 19

i used to drink and drive but i always spiilled it