There are several tests that a police department can use to determine if a driver is under the influence of alcohol to charge the driver with an OWI. One lesser-known test is the urine test. This may be used when the officer wants to know exactly what substances are in your system and might have to be used in combination with another test such as a breathalyzer to get the full picture.
Breathalyzers Vs. Urine Tests
A breathalyzer test is used by a police officer to determine how intoxicated you are. However, a urine test is not able to determine your current level of impairment. Instead, the urine test allows the officer to determine exactly which substances are in your system.
One of the problems with the urine test is that certain substances can remain in your system for days or even weeks. Therefore, if a substance is detected, you might not have necessarily been under the influence of that substance when you were pulled over for a DUI.
Common Challenges to the Urine Test
There are also various mistakes that can occur that might allow an OWI lawyer to call the results of the urine test into question. For example, if the urine was not stored properly, this might lead to the urine test not being reliable.
On rare occasions, a prosecutor might try to accuse you of operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol while only using a urine test as evidence. If this is the case, there's a very good chance that you'll be able to have your charges dismissed with the help of an OWI lawyer.
If you had a few glasses of alcohol but had time to sober up, you might not be intoxicated. However, the urine test might still reveal that alcoholic compounds are in your system. As a result, you might be falsely charged with an OWI.
Don't Get Charged with an OWI
In addition to a jail sentence and fines, an OWI can lead to various other serious consequences. You may be unable to drive or might have restrictions placed on your ability to drive. You may not be able to hold certain jobs. You might be forced to participate in a class and install an interlock device on your car. To avoid all of this and to avoid a permanent OWI on your record, it's essential to hire an OWI lawyer to help you beat your charges.
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