Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC)

San Antonio and South Texas Drunk Driving Defense Lawyers

Have you or someone you know been busted on a DWI charge? If a breathalyzer was involved then the charge probably centers around the blood alcohol content or blood alcohol concentration (BAC) at the time of the arrest.

What is Blood Alcohol Concentration?

Blood Alcohol Concentration or BAC is the percentage of alcohol in your blood. In the state of Texas , the legal limit for intoxication is .08 blood alcohol concentration. Many factors affect and ultimately determine an individual’s BAC including:

- Gender, 
- Body Weight, 
- Number of drinks consumed (or amount by volume if drinking from a large bottle),
- The type of drinks consumed 
- and the amount of food in one’s stomach. 

Women’s and small adults in general, reach a higher BAC with a lower consumption of alcohol. Drinking after eating a good meal can result in a lower BAC than drinking the same amount of alcohol on an empty stomach.

How does BAC affect your case?

Prosecutors are trained to do one thing: convict you. If your BAC was found to be at or above .08 at the time of arrest then state prosecutors will try to use that against you to fine you, take away your driving privileges, and possible imprison you. Don’t go it alone. Prosecutors will stack as many charges against you as they can to convict you to the highest limit that the law will allow. A DWI defense attorney has an arsenal of tools to try and prevent that from happening.

What can / should you do now?

You need a good San Antonio defense attorney. Choose your drunk driving defense lawyer carefully. Don’t make your decision based on an advertisement (or website) alone. Make an in-person appointment with a competent DWI defense lawyer. That is why we offer a free in office initial consultation. Come in, meet the attorney and tell your side of the story. A good driving while intoxicated attorney will have a better sense of how to deal with the prosecutors and formulate a defense that will give you the best chance to preserve your freedom and protect your rights.

Free Consultation

The prosecutors won’t delay in trying to convict you. Don’t delay in making an appointment with us. Let us start gathering evidence for your defense as soon as possible. Don’t speak to police or prosecutors until you speak with us. Call for your free and confidential appointment today The Law Offices of Carabin & Shaw .

How the Breath Test Works

San Antonio and South Texas DWI Defense

Intoxication was originally defined by blood alcohol testing. The amount of alcohol concentration in a person’s blood was compared to the legal definition of intoxication to determine if a person would be arrested for drunk driving. Even though this was an accurate way to test for intoxication, this procedure had many flaws:

• It required a trained medical professional to administer the test.
• It was an invasive procedure.
• The analysis of the test depended upon precise procedures by trained lab technicians.
• The results were not immediate,
• and The test was costly.

In the 1930s, researchers discovered that a small percentage of alcohol in the blood is exhaled through the lungs. The alcohol in the breath was in direct proportion to the concentration of alcohol in the blood. Thus the breath alcohol test was born.

Over the years many different types of breath alcohol testing equipment have been invented:

• Wet Chemistry
• Photo Spectroscopy
• Gas Chromatography
• Infra Red Spectroscopy
• Semi-Conductor Sensors (Tin Oxide Sensors)
• Electro Chemical Analysis (Fuel Cell)

Each of the above mentioned devices require a trained operator, proper maintenance, and a properly administered test before an accurate reading can be achieved. Furthermore, some of these devices are affected by atmospheric pressure, or outside temperature. These tests can be accurate, but there are too many variables that can alter the results to consider them absolutely reliable.

That is why an experienced defense attorney is critical to your defense. A knowledgeable San Antonio driving while intoxicated lawyer will know the best way to present your defense. A DWI lawyer may be able to discredit a breath alcohol test or even have the breath test evidence thrown out entirely. If you or a loved one has been charged with DWI do not give up. Do not assume that you are defeated. Too much is at stake. Do not say anything to the police or prosecutors. Contact us for a free consultation. Let us evaluate the evidence and determine the best course of action to defend your rights, your job, and your freedom. Call us at The Law Offices of Carabin & Shaw .