Home





DWI Glossary

If you have any questions about the following terms, please call the law offices of the Austin DUI lawyer.

Absorption Rate: The rate alcohol enters the blood stream and intoxicates a person. Due to metabolism, food intake, weight and other factors, this rate constantly varies.
Administrative License Revocation: The automatic suspension of your license when you receive a DWI. This can be appealed with the help of an Austin DWI lawyer.

BAC: Blood Alcohol Content, a measure of how much alcohol is in a person’s blood. If you drive with a BAC above 0.08%, you can be charged with drunk driving.

BAC Calculator: A tool to predict a person’s BAC based on weight, hours spent drinking and the number of drinks consumed.

Blood Test: A DWI chemical test that can estimate your BAC with a blood sample.

Breath Test: A chemical test used to estimate your BAC using a breath sample. These tests are frequently inaccurate and can be fought with the help of a top Austin DWI attorney.

Burnoff: The opposite of absorption rate; the rate a body metabolizes alcohol and returns to sobriety.

BWI: Boating While Intoxicated

DWI: Driving While Intoxicated

Expungement: DWI Expungement sometimes referred to as DWI expunction, is the process of removing, sealing or clearing a DWI related offense from your record after conviction. It is the only form of post conviction relief offered for DWI convictions.

Habitual Offender:  A habitual offender is defined differently by many states. However, typically a habitual offender is someone who has three DWI convictions over a specific amount of time. You’ll need to check with your state or local DWI attorneys to learn the exact habitual offender laws where you live.

Implied Consent: Some states have what are referred to as implied consent laws, meaning that if you hold a drivers license in one of these states you are agreeing that if you are ever stopped for DWI that you automatically consent to testing and the officer does not need to ask your permission. You may of course refuse to the testing, but fines and driver license suspension will result.

Ignition Interlock: An ignition interlock device is a device that is installed in a vehicle that prevents a vehicle from starting if it detects a blood alcohol concentration or BAC over .02 percent.

Open Container Laws: Laws that prevent drivers from having open alcoholic beverages in the car with them while driving.

Reckless Driving: Dangerous driving

Regurgitation: Puking, belching or gurgling. Any function that pushes the contents of the stomach into your mouth. If you did any of these before giving a breath sample, your Austin DWI lawyer may be able to show the test was invalid.

Standardized Field Sobriety Test: The roadside tests police are authorized to use to evaluate sobriety. These tests are not legally required and can easily be proven inaccurate.

Urine Test: A chemical DWI test that evaluates a person’s sobriety using a urine sample.