Timing is everything in life, especially when you have a car breathalyzer or ignition interlock device. Your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) has to be “spot on” when you pull out of your driveway, and then you have to time your next breath sample just right when you are given the signal for a “rolling retest.” When you’re driving around Florida, however, the sun in your eyes can be unrelenting or there are the frustrating backups on the Rickenbacker Causeway, making your sobriety a little more difficult to prove to your ignition interlock, even when you haven’t had a drop to drink.
If your shot at keeping your clean driving record seems out of reach during the Pensacola rush hour, or as you look for a parking spot in downtown Tallahassee, keep in mind that you have three minutes to submit your breath sample. Florida has a “3-minute rule” for testing your BAC with an ignition interlock device while your car is in motion. Once you hear the prompt to blow into the interlock, that’s your signal to find a safe place to test, not to panic and give up on your excellent driving record.
Three minutes gives you plenty of time pull over to a safe location and blow into your device, if you even need to pull over. That is more time than it takes to re-heat a cup of coffee in the microwave, or, the average time of a pop song. That three minute window gives you the time to be safe, to submit your breath sample, and then get back on the road to work, and your overall recovery after a DUI.
The good news is that Florida only requires you to submit your BAC for a “re-test” every 15-30 minutes after the first “rolling re-test” sample you submit. So, you can plan a little easier to blow “on the go,” especially when you know the timing involved.
A three-minute rule works for different adventures in life, and your ignition interlock is no different. In the time it takes to pick up your socks, order a strawberry shake at a drive-thru or watch a flock of Florida seagulls fly by, you can find a safe place to prove you are sober, no matter where you are driving in the Sunshine State.
Car Breathalyzer Calibration and Data Reporting