Tempe DUI Lawyer Talks about Inaccurate Breathalyzer Tests

As Tempe DUI lawyers, we know that many Arizona DUI arrests are made as a result of breathalyzer testing by police. We are led to believe that the breathalyzer test is an accurate way to measure blood alcohol levels during a Tempe DUI stop, but that is far from the truth.

There are a lot of factors that can influence a false breathalyzer result, including:

• Your temperature: How warm your body is can have a big impact on the accuracy of your breathalyzer test results. For example, a 1-degree change in your body temperature can falsely elevate a breathalyzer result by 8%.
• Diabetes: Compounds in your body that are similar to ethyl alcohol can trigger a higher breathalyzer result. People who are diabetic, and even people who are dieting, have significantly higher levels of these compounds – up to thousands of times the level found in most people.
• Your mouth: Residual alcohol in your mouth may mean the breathalyzer result is by far higher than your actual blood alcohol level during a Tempe DUI stop.
• Your stomach: If you belch, throw up, or tend to have heartburn and reflux, you can throw off the results of the breathalyzer test. A breathalyzer should not be given if you have had any of those symptoms in the previous 20 minutes.
• The environment: Outside air temperature, pollutants in the air, gas or paint fumes, and even other electronics nearby may influence the accuracy of a breathalyzer test.
• How fast you breathe: Even your rate of respiration can throw off a breathalyzer test, leading to a false

Tempe DUI arrest. Physical activity just prior to a test, like running up a flight of stairs, can skew the result by 10-25%.

As you can see, the breathalyzer test is an inaccurate way to measure your blood alcohol content. It could lead to an embarrassing false arrest or even a conviction.

If your inaccurate breathalyzer test leads to a Tempe DUI arrest, it’s time to call an experienced Tempe DUI lawyer at 1-888-929-5292. You need to build a strong case in order to avoid license suspension, fines, and jail time, and our respected Tempe drunk driving lawyers have what it takes to help you get a better outcome. If you’d like to get to know us and learn more about what we do, take a look at our FREE book, DUI’s in Arizona – What You Must Know.