Now that summer has arrived, many Harrisonburg residents are spending time relaxing with family and friends. Many of these gatherings include food and alcoholic beverages. When a Harrisonburg resident has imbibed alcoholic beverages, they risk the chance of being pulled over by local officials for drinking and driving.
Most people don’t purposely drive when they’re drunk. They understand that this can be a dangerous situation for everyone on the road. When a person is pulled over for drunk driving, they can feel frightened and not know what to do, especially if they’ve only had a few drinks. They may be given a field sobriety test and a breathalyzer test. But, sometimes a breathalyzer test doesn’t tell the whole story.
A common medical condition, acid reflux, can cause stomach acid to flow back into the esophagus and cause what is referred to as mouth alcohol. Basically, this is when a person has alcohol in their mouth that hasn’t been absorbed into the blood stream. When a person blows into a breathalyzer, the alcohol in their mouth can affect the results and artificially raise their BAC level.
If a person is facing drunk driving charges in the Harrisonburg area, they may want to speak with a legal professional skilled in DUI. An attorney understands the consequences a DUI conviction can bring their client and will work to make sure their client’s legal rights are protected. They can review DUI defensive strategies that make sense for their client’s situation and make sure their client’s side of the story is heard.
