What is Blood Alcohol Concentration?

Most people have heard of the term blood alcohol concentration or BAC but may not really understand what it is and/or what it means. For those who do not know, here is a bit of help to understand this phrase commonly mentioned in DUI cases.

When people hear the term blood alcohol concentration, they may or may not know it. Most people refer to it by its initials BAC, which refers to how much ethyl alcohol is present in a suspect’s bloodstream. This BAC can be obtained via a breath, blood or urine test.

Whenever a person has a BAC level of .08 percent or higher, the suspect’s driver’s license will be taken by law enforcement and the driver will be given a temporary driver’s license. The arrested person must request a DMV hearing to protect further suspension of their driving privileges within 10 days of the arrest.

Inaccuracy of BAC Test Results

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The majority of people just assume that BAC tests are always accurate. Not so! There have been many instances where a person’s BAC level was indeed wrong. Reasons BAC results may prove inaccurate include:

• Improper administration of the chemical test
• Equipment is defective
• Lack of qualifications for person administering the test

Other common problems that could interfere with the accuracy of BAC readings can include eating before the test, the suspect having used mouthwash, dentures, prior instances of vomiting and/or hiccupping.