Impaired Driving Laws: Understanding Alcohol's Influence While Driving

1. The Influence Driving Presented By Deputy David Bedford Henry County Sheriff 's Office 120 Henry Parkway McDonough Ga, 30253 (770) 288-7100 dbedford@ henry.co.ga.us

3. 40-6-391 (a) A person shall not drive or be in actual physical control of any moving vehicle while:(1) Under the influence of alcohol to the extent that it is less safe for the person to drive;(2) Under the influence of any drug to the extent that it is less safe for the person to drive;(3) Under the intentional influence of any glue, aerosol, or other toxic vapor to the extent that it is less safe for the person to drive;(4) Under the combined influence of any two or more of the substances specified in paragraphs (1) through (3) of this subsection to the extent that it is less safe for the person to drive;(5) The person's alcohol concentration is 0.08 grams or more at any time within three hours after such driving or being in actual physical control from alcohol consumed before such driving or being in actual physical control ended; or(6) Subject to the provisions of subsection (b) of this Code section, there is any amount of marijuana or a controlled substance, as defined in Code Section 16-13-21, present in the person's blood or urine, or both, including the metabolites and derivatives of each or both without regard to whether or not any alcohol is present in the person's breath or blood.(b) The fact that any person charged with violating this Code section is or has been legally entitled to use a drug shall not constitute a defense against any charge of violating this Code section; provided, however, that such person shall not be in violation of this Code section unless such person is rendered incapable of driving safely as a result of using a drug other than alcohol which such person is legally entitled to use.

4. Is It Illegal To Drink And Drive?

5. Is It Illegal To Drink And Drive? NO It is Illegal To Drive Impaired

6. N.H.T.S.A.

7. How does Alcohol effect us • Alcohol is usually taken by mouth • Travels down the esophagus into the stomach • Alcohol is transferred into the small intestine through the pyloric valve • Once in the small intestine the alcohol begins to be absorbed into the blood stream

8. How Alcohol Effects us • Once in the blood stream the alcohol is transferred into the liver through the portal vein in the liver it begins to metabolize at a rate of 90% This is very hard on the liver and can cause cirrhosis of the liver

9. How Alcohol Effects us • After metabolism the now less toxic alcohol is moved to the heart by the inferior vena cava • In the heart the alcohol moves from the right atrium to the left atrium and into the pulmonary artery where it is..... • Moved into the lungs for dispersal into the breath through the alveoli this is what give us a B.A.C. But more on that later.

10. How Alcohol Effects us • From the lungs the blood is pumped back into the heart • Where it travels to up through the carotid artery • Diffusing through the blood-brain barrier and begins to take an effect on the Brain

11. Impairment Im-pair: (v) To Damage or make worse as if by diminishing in some material respect

12. Impairment • “to thine own self be true”

13. Impairment • In order to make an arrest for d.u.i. The officer must be able to prove that the subject was impaired. To do this we use standardized field sobriety.

14. Standardized field sobriety exercises • He looks drunk to me • Blow into my face • Blow into my hat • Finger to nose • Abc's • One-Leg Stand • Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus • Nine Step Walk And Turn

15. Nine Step Walk And Turn • Subject is instructed to take nine heel to toe steps on a strait line while keeping their hands at their side • Subject is to count the steps out loud pivot on the ninth step and return to the start location

16. One-Leg Stand • Subject is to keep hands down at the side stare forward and raise one leg 6 inches off the ground and point the toe . Subject is then asked to count aloud until instructed to stop

17. Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus • Place a finger or a pen about 6 inches from the subject face and slightly above eye level. • instruct the subject to keep their head still and follow the stimulus with their eyes only • check each eye separately and look for three things 1. onset of nystagmus prior to a 45 degree angle 2. nystagmus at maximum deviation 3. lack of smooth pursuit

18. Roadside Intox-o-meters • Standardized field sobriety can be followed up with a roadside breath test • Many different companies offer products of varying quality • As of this date the results from a roadside breath test are not submittable as evidence however you are allowed to document weather or not the result was positive or negative for the presence of alcohol

19. Roadside intox-o-meters

20. Roadside intox-o-meters • Officers used to measure B.A.C. With the campaign hat • Todays portable breath testers use a fuel cell and electric chip • Once the alcohol saturated breath crosses over the fuel cell a chemical reaction occurs that enables the fuel cell to send a signal to the chip. The computer calculates the results and delivers a readout.

21. SO IN CONCLUSION...... We have learned • How alcohol gets in our blood and causes impairment • How Standardized Field Sobriety works, and is applied on a DUI pullover • How alco-sensor breath tests work