Frequently Asked Questions

Why does DUI Professional show a range of results?

As most experts will acknowledge, there are individual physiological differences that produce a wide range of values for blood alcohol calculations. The default settings for DUI Professional are configured to within two (2) standard deviations of the population, or 95%.

I am an attorney, judge, counselor, etc ... involved in law enforcement. Do I qualify for a discounted subscription?

No. Law enforcement professionals for the purposes of registration are only those with powers of arrest. We consider currently employed state and district prosecuting attorneys within this definition. Law enforcement must provide written documentation of their status to:

DUI Professional LEO Request

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Why does the Widmark Value differ between males and females?

The distribution of ethanol in the body is governed by partitioning between water and fat . As fat constitutes (on average) a greater proportion of the body weight in women than in men, the resultant volume of distribution of ethanol in women is lower than that of men. Accordingly, absorption of a given amount of ethanol will result in a higher blood-alcohol level in women than in men of equal weight. This difference is further enhanced as men typically weight more than women. (Textbook of Pharmacology, Smith, Cedric, M.D. and Reynard, Alan, Ph.D., Page 251-252, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Philadelphia (1992).

Why can't I just do the calculations by hand?

The limitation of the Wimark calculation is that, by itself, it does not take into effect the rate of alcohol absorption and elimination in the human body. Therefore, to determine an accurate result, both processes must be factored into the equation. On a typical analysis, DUI Professional may perform over 2,000 distinct calculations to arrive at a result.

How does DUI Professional calculate when each drink is consumed?

DUI Professional uses a Start Time and Stop Time to reflect when alcohol consumption began and then ceased. The total drinking time is divided by the number of drinks to determine the frequency that drinks were consumed. For example, four beers over a two hour period would equal one drink every 30 minutes. DUI Professional does not require the analyst to enter the exact time each drink was consumed; rather it assumes an even drinking pattern.

Why doesn't DUI Professional utilize the Total Body Water Approach?

Earlier version of DUI Professional did offer an option to calculate blood-alcohol levels using the Total Body Water Approach (TBW). However, after additional research has found that for most calculations, the TBW approach was not as widely accepted as the standard Widmark method. For extremely overweight or underweight subjects, the TBW approach is considered appropriate.