Drunk-driving is obviously a serious issue, and efforts to fight the problem are important for public safety. However, most people are aware that drunk-driving can sometimes come about because of an honest mistake of judgment. Misjudging the extent of one’s intoxication can and does lead to situations where a driver ends up facing DUI charges.
One of the ways to help address the issue is to use one of the new apps that have come out which help determine one’s level of intoxication. The state of Maryland recently developed a new app for this purpose. The new app is known as ENDUI, and utilizes information about the user’s weight, gender, and what they’ve had to drink to come up with an estimate of the blood alcohol content. Not only that, the app allows users to test their ability to drive by having them play games testing reaction time and basic cognitive functions.
Apps like these are good and useful for drivers, to be sure, since they can help driver to gain a better sense of their cognitive abilities while intoxicated and how to recognize when they’ve had too much. It is important for users to be aware, though, that these apps can in no way provide a defense to charges of DUI. As long as there is evidence that a driver’s ability was impaired due to intoxication, a driver may be charged with DUI.
Those who are charged with DUI should also be aware of their right to fight those charges and the need to mount a strong defense to charges. The grounds on which DUI charges may be fought vary according to the circumstances of the case, but regardless of the circumstances, it is important to work with an experienced criminal defense attorney.
In our next post, we’ll look a bit at the issue of breath test accuracy in criminal defense.
Source: Baltimore Sun, “Maryland launches app to help users avoid drunken driving,” Kevin Rector, Dec. 11, 2014.
