If you are like many drivers on the road today, you have a bunch of loose change in your center console, cupholders or glove box. This change can come in handy when you are approaching a toll booth or picking up your morning coffee. Can it keep officers from arresting you for driving under the influence of alcohol, though?
According to reporting from Aeon, many Americans are finding it increasingly difficult to resist misinformation even when they hear direct evidence to the contrary. There is some DUI-related misinformation you certainly should not trust to keep you out of jail, however.
A long-standing myth
For decades now, some drivers have believed the metallic elements in loose change can interfere with DUI breath tests. While there is no evidence to support this ever being true, there is now scientific proof that sucking on coins does not alter breath test results.
Put simply, the breath test measures your blood alcohol concentration regardless of whether you have loose change between your cheeks, under your tongue or anywhere else in your mouth.
A reason to suspect you
Because coin currency is downright filthy, you introduce germs into your system any time you put coins in your mouth. As far as a potential DUI arrest goes, though, you have something else to worry about.
Because members of law enforcement know intoxicated motorists sometimes use coins to try to fool breath tests, an officer may think the coins in your mouth prove you are trying to be tricky. This could raise his or her suspicions even more.
Ultimately, rather than chewing on coins during a DUI stop and hoping for a positive outcome, you are much better off asserting your legal rights and then exploring all available defenses.
