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Daily Ncbraskan
Wednesday, April 13, 1933
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A police officer can pull you over on suspicion of DWI for just about any
reason: swerving, driving too slow or too fast, straddling a lane marker or
taking a turn too wide. New guidelines facilitate DWI checks on a wide
range of visual cues. And statistics indicate that the officer is justified in
pulling you over better than half the time.
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t Once you've been pulled over, the officer checks your license and plates
! ) I "(- ' i for prior offenses or outstanding violations.
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At this point you are asked to give a breath sample in the cruiser called a
j Jil; j '"t ; : """f!!' field test. If you are pulled over by UNL Police, they'll call a city cruiser
7 pi -j " i; "f with the proper equipment. Failure to cooperate makes you automatical-
( -v I I I ly guilty of a misdemeanor.
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The breath analyzer has three readings: pass, warning and fail. If you
pass or get a warning light on the field test, it is up to the officer whether
or not to take you to the County Jail for further testing, based on his
visual observations. If you fail you are automatically escorted to the
City-County Building for an official breath test.
The intoxilyzer works just like the breath test but measures alcohol
levels to .001. If you refuse to take the intoxilizer test, you are auto
matically guilty of a second offense and jailed, do not pass go. If you
have more than .107c alcohol in your blood, you also get immediately
incarcerated.
Most studies show that an average person can consume about one shot of
liquor per hour and still pass the breath test, but that rule of thumb
varies greatly depending on your weight and body metabolism. A better
rule of thumb is not to drive if you drink. Nebraska's getting tough on
DWI, and the penalties are stiff and mandatory.
