| Breathalyzers are electronic devices intended to | | | | Lacquers, paint thinners, and similar products can also |
| estimate a person's blood alcohol content (BAC) | | | | cause inaccurate readings. |
| based on his or her breath. Police departments | | | | Breathalyzers must be regularly calibrated to work |
| commonly use breathalyzers during traffic stops to | | | | properly. This calibration must be done by a trained |
| determine whether or not to arrest a driver for driving | | | | technician using specialized equipment. Unless police |
| under the influence. While breathalyzers are commonly | | | | departments ensure their breathalyzers are regularly |
| presented as being highly accurate, in reality, there are | | | | calibrated and maintained, they cannot be certain of |
| many factors that can lead to inaccurate readings. No | | | | their readings. |
| one should have to face a DUI conviction because of | | | | In order to work properly, breathalyzers must be |
| an inaccurate reading. | | | | calibrated to match the temperature and humidity of |
| Breathalyzers work by taking advantage of the | | | | the place where the test occurs. Heat can cause |
| chemical properties of ethanol, the alcohol in alcoholic | | | | alcohol, gasoline, and other volatile substances to |
| beverages. When ethanol in the breath passes into a | | | | release vapors more quickly. A person's breathing |
| breathalyzer, a chemical reaction occurs. By measuring | | | | patterns, body temperature, body type, and even the |
| the effects of this reaction, breathalyzers can estimate | | | | makeup of his or her blood can affect readings. |
| the amount of alcohol in the user's lungs. There are | | | | People with diabetes or acid reflux can have unusually |
| numerous problems with this technology, however: for | | | | high levels of chemicals in their breath that cause false |
| one, there are hundreds of chemicals that react | | | | readings. |
| similarly to ethanol. If any of those are in the breath, it | | | | Combined with the effects of weather, body type, and |
| can cause a false reading. | | | | other factors, breathalyzer devices are far less |
| Other alcohols can cause false readings, as can many | | | | accurate than is commonly believed. This has led to |
| very common cleaning products. Even gasoline vapors, | | | | countless people being wrongly convicted of drunk |
| if they enter the lungs, can activate breathalyzers in | | | | driving offenses. If you have been charged with a |
| the same way as ethanol. If there are gasoline vapors | | | | drunk driving offense, you are entitled to legal counsel |
| in the air at the time of a breathalyzer test, the results | | | | and the expertise of an experienced drunk driving |
| of the test can be thrown off by their presence. | | | | lawyer. |