Dallas DWI Attorney

Breathalyzer Tests

Breathalyzers estimate a person’s ethyl alcohol levels based on a breath sample. The problem is that they do not actually measure a person’s blood alcohol concentration directly, but merely estimate it. These machines need to be properly calibrated to the correct room temperature or they will be inaccurate. They need to be kept away from certain environmental contaminants that may skew their results, such as gasoline, paint and other chemicals with strong vapors. Only properly trained operators can correctly perform the tests and record their results. They also need to be serviced and recalibrated on a regular basis.

Aside from these basic problems with the machines, the human body provides many more challenges for the tools. If a person has a high fever, it may affect the machine’s temperature and result in a false high. Additionally, other compounds in a person’s system may appear as ethyl alcohol in a breathalyzer test, a defect resulting in inaccurate tests for diabetics and dieters alike. Digesting can affect a breathalyzer as well, if a person eats within 15 minutes before their test, the results will likely be falsely high. On the other hand, if a person vomits or belches within 30 minutes of testing on a breath machine, the alcohol vapors will rise in their system and result in a higher than normal breath test.

Our DWI Lawyer Will Show the Weaknesses of Breath Test Results as Evidence

With all these combinations of flaws in the breathalyzer machine, is it any wonder these tests have been shown to be incorrect up to 25% of the time? The real wonder is why these tests are still allowed to be used as evidence in court. An expert Dallas DWI attorney will be able to present this evidence to the court in order to help show the innocence of their client despite a failed breath test result.

If you have been charged with a DWI and have a positive breath test result against you, do not give up. Contact a skilled Dallas DWI attorney from our firm. We will help prove your innocence despite breath test evidence to the contrary. Call today for your free initial consultation and case evaluation.