I ordered a breathalyzer, not for any reason other than I do like to have a few beers either on the boat or for dinner, also like other people I have a lot to lose...the line between .07 and .08 is small and expensive.

Amazon.com: AlcoHAWK PT500 Breathalyzer: Health & Personal Care

Just in case, going to carry it in my glove box for me or my friends. If anyone feels a little questionable not bad to see what you blow. They also sell disposable mouth pieces, so I got 50 for $15. Now their is no reason to not use it. DOT and FDA approved, good enough for my use.

Maybe I am paranoid but that is OK, don't mind being called that.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Back in the mid 1970s in Redwood City, one of the bedroom communities south of San Francisco, where I lived for several years before going back to the City,

All the bars in town decided to install breathalyzers in the bar so that patrons could test their BAC before they left the bar to drive away.

It lasted for about a year before it was discontinued and the breathalyzers were removed from the bars.

Seems all the breathalyzers got used for was for contests to see who could blow rhe drunkest score on them!

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

Way *too many problems potentially with using those little trinkets. For just one; often times, consecutive blows will either read; .00 or various readings above .00. In short, *they're not accurate enough *to depend on versus the blood drawing test method.

Rule of thumb; If *you're drunk enough *to realize you need one of those things before driving, *you're *too drunk *to drive. It's that simple.

You need to have breathalyzers in your car to drive in France these days even if you are only go through that boring flat bit where loads of people died on the way to the ferry. (Well it is still a bit of a gray area - no one is really sure if it is law or not - including the French)

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1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

This.

In addition, I seriously doubt any court will accept those as evidence when you blow .06 on the boat, decide to drive home and get popped on the way and the cop's breath meter disagrees with yours.
Also a good idea to look at the individual state's fine print in their DUI laws. Arizona, land of the free, has a "DUI to the least degree" clause that effectively makes what you blow or blood test irrelevant. You can blood test at .01 and still get nailed.

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You're a daisy if you do.
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84 Euro 240D 4spd. 220.5k sold
04 Honda Element AWD
1985 F150 XLT 4x4, 351W with 270k miles, hay hauler
1997 Suzuki Sidekick 4x4
1993 Toyota 4wd Pickup 226K and counting

That law has been repealed.

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Strelnik
Invest in America: Buy a Congressman!

1950 170SD
1951 Citroen 11BN
1953 Citroen 11BNF limo
1953 220a project
1959 180D
1960 190D
1960 Borgward Isabella TS 2dr
1983 240D daily driver
1983 380SL
1990 350SDL daily driver alt
3 x Citroen DS21M, down from 5
3 x Citroen 2CV, down from 6

Well thank whoever for that - that must be pretty recent as I had to buy some for my summer trip according to the ANWB (Dutch breakdown company and all round fiddler in aspects of motoring in Holland)

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1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

A quick search on the internet will turn up quite a few lawyers who specialize in DUI citations. It seems the technology behind the breathalyzer is questionable. The only accurate blood alcohol test is a BLOOD test administered by your local hospital. Anything other than that can be called into questioned and according to some of these hot shot DUI lawyers, IT IS questioned and thrown out of court on a REGULAR basis.

^^^ That may be true, but those acquittals come at great expense in dollars and sleepless nights, if they come at all. If Hatty's breathalyzer gives sufficient warning for someone to not get behind the wheel, then it will pay for itself. Seems like bad karma to rely on something like that, though.

And that is what's going on in some places. No more breathalyzer. Cop takes you downtown; blood is drawn. You flunk - off to jail - you pass - home you go.

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Mike Murrell
1991 300-SEL - Model 126
M103 - SOHC
"Fräulein"

Agreed, Last I heard retainers for a DUI offense were somewhere between $5K and $10K. If things stretch out more time wise more $$$$$ may be required. Hattie has a good idea though if someone felt they were at or near the border line they might consider sleeping it off. Or, call a taxicab. Either way a lot less expensive and less $$$$$$$$$$ than getting charged with a DUI.

I know someone who once got nailed on a DUI. It was the gift that keeps on giving. After the smoke had cleared, he lost a BRAND new car, his license and major $$$$$$ paid to the lawyer for his defense.

I would have to insist on a trip to the local hospital; the downtown nurses could be on the take or they might pull someone else's blood and say it is yours. All in the name of "justice", of course.

I don't know what the options are - if any. Some places also have "no refusal" testing. What do they do if you refuse? Throw you on a table with force?

Never been nailed 'cuz I don't drink and drive - therefore I don't know the ins-n-outs of the tougher dui laws.

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Mike Murrell
1991 300-SEL - Model 126
M103 - SOHC
"Fräulein"

Refusal is automatic DUI, at least here in CA.

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1979 Black on Black, 300CD (sold), 1990 Black 300SE, Silver 1989 Volvo 780, 1988 300CE (vanished by the hands of a girlfriend), 1992 300CE (Rescue).

They wlll use force if necessary. Tazers, German Shepherd dogs wielding stainless steel teeth, Pepper Spray, Rodney King style baton beatings, whatever it takes to get the subject under control. Some jails use high pressure fire hoses blasting water on detainees to "send a message". Afterwards they replay the video of what they did to you and have a good laugh while having a few rounds of beers. Hilarious entertainment (for them).

BTW have you seen the movie "Rambo"? Remember when the sheriff arrested him for walking and then what they did to him while he was in custody? Remember when they hosed him down and laughed about it?? A veteran, no less.