Alcohol is a psychoactive substance known an used all over the world. In spite of the fact that
alcohol is widely accepted, it is important to test its level in the blood especially if you are going to drive a car. The procedure of alcohol testing might be performed by the police in almost all countries. However, the procedures are different among various regions of the world. The legal regulations do not determine the acceptable amount of alcohol in the blood globally. The drivers must be obviously sober but the permissible amount of alcohol varies among the drivers from different countries. It is also important to point to the fact that alcohol tests may be performed by the police in various circumstances. This article will focus on the UK will be point of the focus considering its norms, regulations and testing procedures.
TESTING PROCEDURE
How does the procedure itself look like? Let’s focus on a driver being tested by the police in the UK. Here are some regulations as mentioned in The Road Traffic Act from 1988:
A person who drives a mechanically propelled car on a road must stop the car while asked by a constable in uniform or a traffic officer
A person who rides a bike on a road have to stop while asked by a person uniform or a traffic officer
If a person refuses to cooperate with this section he is considered guilty
When the vehicle is stopped, the police may perform a variety of actions depending on the circumstances. If the driver behaves in an inappropriate way the police has a right to perform a test. The police always tests the alcohol level of the drivers in case of accidents. If a person refuses to perform a test they are considered guilty. The test might be also performed if:
The person admitted that they had drank alcohol
The police officer smells alcohol
The person’s face is strange or they have bloodshot or glazed eyes or any other visible signs of possible intoxication
The person’s reactions are slowed down
The way in which they were driving was not heedful
The police was provided with information considering a strange driver who is believed to be drunk while driving
It is worth to mention that the breathalyzers used by the police must be licensed, well-calibrated and tested. A professional police-grade breathalyzer is available