When it comes to drunk driving, DUI attorneys have their own vocabulary and oftentimes these terms are misunderstood. It’s important to understand DUI (Driving Under the Influence)/DWI (Driving While Intoxicated) lingo and below is a list of the most common words:

Administrative License Revocation - this is known as a driver's license suspension. It is administered by a state agency like the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles).

Arraignment - this is a situation when the DUI offender is told the charges against him/her and is given the opportunity to enter a plea

BAC - Otherwise known as "Blood Alcohol Content", the amount of alcohol in a person's body

BAL - Otherwise known as "Blood Alcohol Level" or "Breath Alcohol Level"; Some states allow convictions based on a BAL versus having to convert to blood alcohol level, although blood alcohol tests are more accurate

Breathalyzer - A portable instrument used by law enforcement to measure the BAC (blood alcohol content) of a person who has been suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol

Burn Off - In regards to drinking and driving, this is the body's ability to metabolize alcohol. How fast alcohol “burns off” and exits the body varies from person to person.

Chemical Test - this is a type of DUI test that determines the concentration of alcohol in a person's blood

Enhancements - The circumstances in a drunk driving case that could increase the penalties of the DUI offender. Some of these circumstances may include, but are not limited to: driving under the influence with a minor in the vehicle, causing injury or death to another person, or previous DUI convictions

Extrapolation - This is a method of determining blood alcohol level by taking into account the driver's weight, how old they are, how much alcohol was consumed over a given period of time, and when the driver had their last alcoholic drink.

Felony Drunk Driving - Most of the time drunk driving is treated as a misdemeanor case. However, in some cases like when a person is killed or the driver has had many prior convictions, it is viewed as a felony drunk driving case. The consequence could be a harsher sentence for the defendant.