For a lot of people, getting your first DUI can leave you crestfallen. That’s because you were probably told or already knew that a DUI stays on your criminal record for 10 years. If you receive any subsequent DUIs within this time frame, they become felony charges, which can have an even more substantial effect on your life. (You can read more about felony DUIs in our February post.)
For anyone who has a DUI, 10 years can seem like eternity. And for even the most careful of people, slip ups can happen. You might think that you’re under the legal limit or miscalculate how long it’s been since your last drink. You may even misjudge the strength of your drinks. All of these could leave you vulnerable to another DUI, which is probably not something you want.
But a national competition being promoted by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism might result in a product that could greatly help people here in New York, as well as across the nation, avoid felony DUIs. That’s because the competition is in search of a new wearable biosensor that will not only help track a person’s blood alcohol levels, but it will do so in a discreet way.
Although personal breath tests are one way to check your BAC before driving, the use of these devices isn’t exactly inconspicuous. Because of fear of judgment from others, people might not use these devices, risking a DUI and the integrity of their driving record. But because the contest is requesting only discreet devices that would look like nothing more than clothing or jewelry, people won’t have to worry about what other people think. This might encourage more people to utilize the device in order to make more educated decisions about driving after consuming alcohol.
Because submissions are being accepted through December 1, 2015 and judging is not expected to start until January the following year, our Poughkeepsie readers will have to wait to see what devices contestants come up with and whether they will be the tool our readers need to avoid a DUI down the road.
