My ex had one of these for a year. It acted up all the time even if he had aftershave on. It was a huge inconvenience and that alone was a lesson. It cost a lot of money, had to be calibrated all the time, and the facilities to take it to were staffed by people uneducated in how these devices work. He had the party plates for 2 years. He had 3 OVI's in less than a year and got the book thrown at him in court big time. He could not afford a decent attorney. His drinking caused our divorce. I lost almost everything in bankruptcy and he was sued by a lady he hit from behind at a stoplight when he was drunk. He was lucky he never killed anyone. He is now 3 years sober and very dedicated to AA but he knows he's just one drink away from a tragedy.

As for your in-laws.....how frightening. Yes, they were lucky. I had a patient who was a paraplegic from an accident where she was the victim and her life was ruined. Whenever she came to the ER, and that was often, she was mentally ill, bitter, and despondent. It took 20 years before she died from complications. She had a colostomy, Foley cath, and, in the end, a G-tube. She had pneumonia frequently and was extremely overweight. My heart broke for her hopelessness. If I were to cause this to a person I would probably take my own life. The guy that hit her went to prison but was out and free long before she died. I hope other readers take the time to read this article. It's timely and important.