When A Urine Test Is A Better Option Than A Breathalyzer

The type of DUI tests that most drivers are familiar with are the breathalyzer and blood tests. However, you have another option available to you: the urine test. In some cases, receiving a urine test might be a better option than the more common breathalyzer. 

The Process of Getting a Urine Test

You will need to produce a urine sample. In some cases, you are even allowed to go home to produce the urine sample. This sample must then immediately be taken to a lab to be verified for an accurate result. 

With a breathalyzer test, the device must be properly calibrated. If there is something wrong with the device, you may receive a false positive and may be charged with a DUI when you are actually innocent. However, a urine test can be much more accurate. Blood tests are also accurate, but you may be afraid of needles or may simply not like giving your blood.

The Urine Test Must Be Carried Out Properly

The more quickly that the urine sample is tested, the more likely it is that the results will be correct because the urine sample can begin to break down. Also, the timing of the urine test can affect the accuracy of the test.

Alcohol can take up to two hours to appear in your urine and a positive test does not necessarily indicate that you were intoxicated at the time of the test. Therefore, you will want to bring this up with your criminal defense lawyer.

Typically, to carry out a urine test properly, the lab will need to perform a conversion to take into account the fact that the amount of alcohol in the blood will be different from the amount of alcohol in the urine. Whether or not you are intoxicated will be based on your blood alcohol content and not your urine alcohol content.

Your Urine Test Might Be Tested to Verify That It Is Yours

A urine temperature test might be used to make sure that the urine is a fresh sample and was not taken at a different time. However, proving that the urine test is actually yours can still be difficult.

However, if these tests are not performed properly, a criminal defense attorney may fight to have the results of the urine test thrown out so that you may be able to have your DUI charges reduced or dismissed.

Contact a local criminal defense attorney to learn more.