You had a few drinks and made the terrible decision to drive home. So far you’ve been lucky. No checkpoints, and no sign of police presence anywhere. Suddenly you see the flashing lights in your rear view mirror. You try to stay calm, hoping you’ll get lucky. You get told to step out of the car, and moments later, you’re under arrest. What happened? How did he immediately know you were drinking?

Lasers. Seriously.

Researchers in Poland have quietly been developing laser technology that is capable of detecting alcohol vapor in the interior of your vehicle from hundreds of feet away. The set up is remarkably simple. On one side of the road a laser is set up facing a sensor on the opposite side of the road. As cars pass by, the laser sends information about the air content in the vehicle to the sensor. If alcohol vapors are detected in the vehicle the sensor lights up.

There are some problems with this system however. It is very sensitive, but it cannot detect where the alcohol vapors are originating from. This could possibly lead to scenarios in which police are targeting vehicles that are not being driven by drunk drivers. Passengers can very well be the cause of alcohol vapors in the vehicle, which is likely to result in many designated drivers having to needlessly suffer through an extended stop because of their good intentions.

This technology has yet to be put to use in any official capacity, but it will see the light of day eventually. This device will no doubt have a major impact on the way DUI/DWI is enforced and prosecuted. New technologies like this are being introduced more frequently and will likely make it easier to successfully prosecute DUI/DWI cases. Don’t let your rights get compromised. A FORMER PROSECUTOR is your best bet for a successful defense, no matter what tools are being used against you.