Combined DUI Glossary ReviewProvo Criminal Defense Website + ARIDE Student Manual
Prepared for review and editing
| Sources used in this draft: • Website glossary page at provocriminaldefense.com • ARIDE Student Manual glossary section (April 2025 edit) Legend: [Website] term appeared on the website; [ARIDE] term appeared in the student manual; [Both] term appeared in both sources. |
Merged glossary entries
Actual Physical Control (APC) [Website]
Utah determines whether someone has actual physical control of a vehicle by examining the totality of the circumstances. It generally excludes situations where the person is asleep in the vehicle, not in the driver’s seat, or where the engine is off and the vehicle is lawfully parked. Refer to Utah Code 41-6a-501(1)(a).
Addiction [Both]
Website: Alcohol addiction can play a significant role in DUI cases, and DSM-5 criteria for alcohol use disorder may become relevant in legal or treatment proceedings. ARIDE: Habitual psychological and physiological dependence on a substance beyond one’s voluntary control.
Additive Effect [ARIDE]
One mechanism of polydrug interaction in which two drugs affect the same indicator in the same way and their effects add together.
Alcohol Restricted Driver [Website]
In Utah, an alcohol restricted driver—sometimes called a 'not a drop' driver—is prohibited from operating a vehicle with any alcohol in the system. Even a BAC of .001 can result in charges, and these restrictions often follow prior DUI convictions.
Analgesic [ARIDE]
A drug that relieves or allays pain.
ANALOG (of a drug) [ARIDE]
A chemical very similar to another drug in both molecular structure and psychoactive effects.
Anesthetic [ARIDE]
A drug that produces a general or local insensibility to pain and other sensation.
Antagonistic Effect [ARIDE]
One mechanism of polydrug interaction in which two drugs affect an indicator in opposite ways.
Artery [ARIDE]
The strong, elastic blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart.
Assessment [Website]
A substance abuse assessment is a clinical interview conducted by a licensed mental health professional to determine whether treatment is needed. Refer to Utah Code 41-6a-501(1)(b).
Autonomic Nerve [ARIDE]
A motor nerve carrying messages to muscles and organs that are not consciously controlled.
Blood Alcohol Concentration (Bac) [ARIDE]
The percentage of alcohol in a person’s blood.
Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) [Website]
BAC is the percentage of alcohol in the bloodstream used to measure impairment. Utah’s legal limit is .05, and a BAC of .16 or higher can trigger additional penalties, including supervised probation or an extreme DUI enhancement.
Blood Pressure [ARIDE]
The force exerted by blood on the walls of the arteries.
BREATH ALCOHOL CONCENTRATION (BrAC) [ARIDE]
The percentage of alcohol in a person’s blood as measured by a breath testing device.
Breathalyzer Machine [Website]
A breathalyzer estimates BAC by analyzing alcohol in a person’s breath. Refusal can carry serious consequences under Utah law.
Bruxism [ARIDE]
Grinding the teeth, often seen in persons under the influence of cocaine or other CNS stimulants.
Cannabis [ARIDE]
The drug category that includes marijuana and hashish; THC is the active ingredient.
Carboxy Thc [ARIDE]
A metabolite of THC.
Central Nervous System (Cns) [ARIDE]
The system consisting of the brain, brain stem, and spinal cord.
Central Nervous System Depressants [ARIDE]
One of the seven drug categories; includes alcohol, barbiturates, anti-anxiety tranquilizers, and others.
Central Nervous System Stimulants [ARIDE]
One of the seven drug categories; includes cocaine, amphetamines, Ritalin, Desoxyn, and others.
Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) [Website]
CDL holders face stricter DUI rules and penalties in Utah. A conviction can result in a lengthy license suspension and major employment consequences.
Conjunctiva [ARIDE]
The clear membrane over the sclera and inside of the eyelids.
Conjunctivitis [ARIDE]
Inflammation of the membrane lining the eyelids, commonly referred to as pink eye.
Convergence [ARIDE]
The crossing of the eyes that occurs when focusing on a stimulus moved slowly toward the bridge of the nose.
Crack/Rock [ARIDE]
Cocaine base in hard chunk form resembling pebbles or small rocks.
Cyclic Behavior [ARIDE]
Alternating periods of intense agitation and relative calm sometimes observed with PCP impairment.
Delirium [ARIDE]
A brief state of incoherent excitement, confused speech, restlessness, and possible hallucinations.
Diastolic [ARIDE]
The lowest value of blood pressure, reached when the heart is fully relaxed.
Dissociative Anesthetics [ARIDE]
One of the seven drug categories; drugs that inhibit pain by cutting off the brain’s perception of pain, including PCP and its analogs.
Divided Attention [ARIDE]
Concentrating on more than one thing at a time.
Downside Effect [ARIDE]
An effect that can occur when the body produces hormones or neurotransmitters to counteract a drug’s effects.
Drug [ARIDE]
Any substance that, when taken into the human body, can impair the ability of the person to operate a vehicle safely.
Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) [Both]
Website: A specially trained officer who can identify impairment caused by drugs using techniques beyond standard field sobriety testing. ARIDE: An individual who has successfully completed all phases of DRE training requirements for certification established by IACP and NHTSA.
DUI in Utah [Website]
Under Utah Code 41-6a-502, a person can be charged with DUI based on alcohol impairment, drug impairment, or a combination of both. A conviction may still occur below .05 if the court finds actual impairment.
DUI with Minor Passengers [Website]
Driving under the influence with passengers under age 16 can lead to added charges for each child and increased penalties based on endangerment.
Expert Witness [ARIDE]
A person with specialized knowledge who may assist the jury by expressing an opinion based on the evidence and that expertise.
Extreme DUI [Website]
Used here to describe a DUI involving a BAC above .16, alcohol combined with drugs, or two or more illegal drugs in the system. Harsher penalties may apply.
Felony DUI [Website]
A DUI may become a felony when there are three DUI convictions within 10 years, when serious bodily injury is caused, or when a minor passenger is involved, depending on the charging theory and facts.
Flashback [ARIDE]
A vivid recollection of part of a hallucinogenic experience.
Gait Ataxia [ARIDE]
An unsteady, staggering, uncoordinated gait.
General Indicator [ARIDE]
Behavior or observations that are noticed but not specifically tested for.
Hallucination [ARIDE]
A sensory experience of something that does not exist outside the mind.
Hallucinogens [ARIDE]
One of the seven drug categories; includes LSD, MDMA, peyote, psilocybin, and others.
Hash Oil [ARIDE]
A highly concentrated syrup-like oil extracted from marijuana.
Hashish [ARIDE]
A form of cannabis made from the dried and pressed resin of a marijuana plant.
Heroin [ARIDE]
A powerful narcotic analgesic chemically derived from morphine.
Homeostasis [ARIDE]
The dynamic self-regulating process by which the body maintains a balanced or constant state.
Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (Hgn) [ARIDE]
Involuntary jerking of the eyes occurring as the eyes gaze to the side.
Hormones [ARIDE]
Chemicals produced by the endocrine system and carried through the bloodstream to target organs.
Hyperglycemia [ARIDE]
Excess sugar in the blood.
Hyperthermia [ARIDE]
Increased body temperature.
Hypotension [ARIDE]
Abnormally low blood pressure.
Hypothermia [ARIDE]
Decreased body temperature.
Ice [ARIDE]
A crystalline form of methamphetamine that produces a very intense and fairly long-lasting high.
Inhalants [ARIDE]
One of the seven drug categories; includes volatile solvents, aerosols, and anesthetic gases.
Insufflation [ARIDE]
Snorting a powdered drug into the nostril.
Integumentary System [ARIDE]
The skin and accessory structures, hair, and nails.
Lack Of Convergence (Loc) [ARIDE]
The inability of the eyes to converge or cross as a stimulus is moved toward the bridge of the nose.
Major Indicators [ARIDE]
Physiological signs specifically assessed and largely involuntary, reflecting CNS homeostasis.
Marijuana [ARIDE]
Common term for the cannabis plant, usually referring to the dried leaves.
Marinol [ARIDE]
A drug containing a synthetic form of THC.
Metabolism [ARIDE]
The sum of the body’s chemical processes, including the breakdown of ingested substances such as food and drugs.
Metabolite [ARIDE]
A chemical product formed by the reaction of a drug with oxygen and/or other substances in the body.
Miosis [ARIDE]
Abnormally small (constricted) pupils.
Motor Nerves [ARIDE]
Nerves that carry messages away from the brain to muscles, tissues, and organs.
Muscular Hypertonicity [ARIDE]
Rigid muscle tone.
Mydriasis [ARIDE]
Abnormally large (dilated) pupils.
Narcotic Analgesics [ARIDE]
One of the seven drug categories; includes opium, morphine, codeine, heroin, oxycodone, fentanyls, methadone, and others.
Nerve [ARIDE]
A cord-like fiber that carries messages either to or from the brain.
Neurotransmitter [ARIDE]
Chemicals that carry messages across the gap between nerve cells.
Null Effect [ARIDE]
One mechanism of polydrug interaction in which neither drug affects a particular indicator.
Nystagmus [ARIDE]
An involuntary jerking of the eyes.
On The Nod [ARIDE]
A semi-conscious state of deep relaxation induced by heroin or other narcotic analgesics.
Overlapping Effect [ARIDE]
One mechanism of polydrug interaction in which one drug affects an indicator and the other does not.
Paranoia [ARIDE]
Mental disorder characterized by delusions and projection of personal conflicts onto supposed hostility of others.
Paraphernalia [ARIDE]
Tools or equipment used to store, transport, or administer a drug.
Per Se DUI [Website]
In a per se DUI case, the law presumes impairment when BAC is .05 or higher, regardless of actual driving ability.
Phencyclidine [ARIDE]
PCP; formerly used as a surgical anesthetic and now without legitimate human medical use.
Phenyl Cyclohexyl Piperidine (Pcp) [ARIDE]
A specific drug in the dissociative anesthetics category.
Physiology [ARIDE]
The branch of biology dealing with the functions and activities of living matter.
Piloerection [ARIDE]
Hair standing up or goose bumps.
Polycategory Impairment [ARIDE]
Being under the combined influence of drugs from two or more drug categories.
Polydrug Impairment [ARIDE]
Being under the combined influence of two or more different drugs.
Psychedelic [ARIDE]
A mental state involving intensified or altered sensory perception, sometimes with hallucinations.
Psychophysical Tests [ARIDE]
Methods of investigating the mental and physical characteristics of a person suspected of alcohol or drug impairment.
Ptosis [ARIDE]
Droopy eyelids.
Pulse [ARIDE]
The rhythmic dilation and relaxation of an artery resulting from the beating of the heart.
Pulse Rate [ARIDE]
The number of artery expansions per minute.
Pupillary Light Reflex [ARIDE]
The pupils’ constriction and dilation in response to changes in lighting.
Pupillary Unrest [ARIDE]
Continuous, irregular change in pupil size under room or steady light conditions.
Rebound Dilation [ARIDE]
Constriction followed by steady dilation that does not return to original size.
Refusing a Chemical Test [Website]
Utah law penalizes refusal to submit to a chemical test such as blood or breath. Refusal can carry consequences comparable to a DUI charge.
Resting Nystagmus [ARIDE]
Jerking of the eyes as they look straight ahead.
Sclera [ARIDE]
The dense white fibrous membrane forming the white part of the eyeball.
Sinsemilla [ARIDE]
The unpollinated female cannabis plant with relatively high THC concentration.
Snorting [ARIDE]
One method of administering certain powdered drugs by drawing them rapidly into the nostril.
Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (Sfst) [ARIDE]
The three NHTSA/IACP-approved SFSTs are HGN, Walk and Turn, and One Leg Stand.
Synesthesia [ARIDE]
A sensory perception disorder in which input via one sense is perceived as input via another sense.
Tetrahydrocannabinol (Thc) [ARIDE]
The principal psychoactive ingredient in the cannabis category.
Therapeutic Dose [ARIDE]
The amount of a drug needed to treat a disease or condition.
Tolerance [ARIDE]
Adjustment of the user’s body and brain to the repeated presence of a drug, resulting in diminished effects from the same dose.
Tracks [ARIDE]
Scar tissue usually produced by repeated injection of drugs along a vein.
Vertical Gaze Nystagmus (Vgn) [ARIDE]
Involuntary up-and-down jerking of the eyes as they are held at maximum elevation.
Voir Dire [ARIDE]
Questioning used in court to assess a witness’s qualifications to testify as an expert.
Withdrawal [ARIDE]
The condition that occurs in a physically addicted person when deprived of the drug.
Notes on overlapping terms
- Addiction and Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) appear in both sources, but the website definitions are client-facing while the ARIDE definitions are training-manual definitions.
- Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) on the website and Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) in ARIDE describe the same core concept in slightly different wording.
- This draft keeps website terms in their more client-friendly phrasing and preserves ARIDE terms in a more technical glossary style for review.