Travis Noble, P.C. | Attorneys At Law
Travis Noble, P.C. | Attorneys At Law
Travis Noble, P.C. | Attorneys At Law

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Can sucking on pennies help people pass breath tests?

On Behalf of | Oct 16, 2024 | BAC

Plenty of misinformation circulates about drunk driving and sobriety. Some people have heard exaggerated stories that claim coffee can help them sober up more quickly before getting behind the wheel. Others may have heard urban legends about ways to pass field sobriety tests or trick chemical breath tests.

One of the most ubiquitous tips shared about impaired driving is that sucking on pennies can help people pass a chemical breath test. Some people go so far as to claim that the pennies must be from before a certain year so that they have a specific amount of copper in them. The story people tell is that a handful of pennies in the mouth during the test or immediately before the test can help someone trick the device and may lead to a lower reading.

Is it true that pennies can affect the accuracy of chemical breath tests?

Pennies and copper do not alter test results

Despite how many people have shared the penny tip for passing a breath test, there is no credible science to back up that claim. Copper does not bind to the alcohol on someone’s breath or absorb so readily into human saliva that it alters the chemical composition of their mouths in any meaningful way.

All sucking on pennies before a breath test achieves was giving a driver a false sense of confidence. In some cases, it may even increase the scrutiny a police officer applies during a traffic stop.

Just as most drivers have heard about the penny trick, so have most law enforcement professionals. If they see a penny in someone’s mouth or notice them spitting change on the floor of their car as they approach, they may view that as a sign that the driver is aware they have had too much to drink and hopes to manipulate the results of chemical testing.

Instead of sucking on pennies or looking for other tips to manipulate the testing process, it is often better to know and use one’s rights during an impaired driving traffic stop. Drivers don’t have to answer invasive questions or perform field sobriety tests. Without the information officers glean from drivers in the early stages of a stop, they may lack the probable cause necessary to demand a chemical test in the first place.

Those accused of impaired driving offenses can still potentially avoid the worst consequences if they successfully defend against those charges. Looking at the state’s evidence, including breath test results, with a skilled legal team could help a driver evaluate their options for defending against impaired driving allegations.

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Travis L. Noble is a graduate of the National College for DUI Defense at Harvard University, and he lectures at seminars nationwide on DWI/DUI topics. He is the lawyer whom other lawyers consult to defend their DWI clients. Most importantly, he has a track record of successfully defending some of the toughest DWI cases in Missouri and beyond.

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