People share all kinds of tips to help others avoid traffic tickets and criminal charges. Many of these tips have little basis in reality. Drivers who regularly enjoy alcohol may worry that they could fail a breath test despite driving safely. They may share tips and tricks with one another in the hopes of avoiding unfair criminal charges.
One of the tactics people suggest to avoid a DUI involves sucking on a penny before and during a chemical breath test. They may make a point of indicating it has to be a penny from a certain era to ensure that it has a high copper concentration. Is it true that sucking on a copper penny can reduce the reading taken during a chemical breath test?
The penny hack does not work
People have been telling each other for decades that they can use copper pennies to manipulate the reading returned by a chemical breath test. Unfortunately for those who enjoy a nice IPA or a dry martini, there is no last-minute hack that tricks a breathalyzer into returning a lower score.
Researchers have never been able to corroborate claims that sucking on a penny or holding one under the tongue is enough to reduce the reading returned during an alcohol breath test. If anything, scrambling for pocket change or displaying a penny in the mouth to an officer is likely to heighten their suspicion.
Police officers are aware of the so-called penny hack and may scrutinize anyone who has change in their hands or in their mouth during a traffic stop. They may view the attempt to reduce test results as a clear sign that the driver knew they may have an elevated blood alcohol concentration (BAC).
The good news for individuals accused of drunk driving is that while sucking on pennies doesn’t affect a breath test, many other things can. Health conditions, medications and even specialty diets can lead to inaccurate breath test results. There’s also the possibility of improper device maintenance affecting the accuracy of test results.
Those hoping to fight drunk driving charges may need help reviewing what happened before they failed their breathalyzer test and got arrested. Developing a criminal defense strategy may help a driver prove that they were not over the limit and avoid the consequences of a drunk driving conviction.