Breathalyzer tests and false positives

On Behalf of | Apr 27, 2019 | DUI/DWI Defense |

When people are pulled over for suspected drunk driving, a law enforcement official may conduct a breathalyzer test to determine whether or not the driver is under the influence of alcohol. If they notice that someone was driving erratically, they may be convinced that the driver is drunk before they have even talked to the driver or asked them to step out of the vehicle. There are a number of reasons why breathalyzer tests can be wrong, and there are other issues to take into consideration with regard to challenging these tests in court.

For starters, certain products contain alcohol and can throw off the results of a breathalyzer test, such as mouthwash. People may also be exposed to certain substances at work which can affect test results and those with some medical conditions, such as acid reflux, may also fail a breathalyzer test even though they are not over the legal limit. Moreover, law enforcement officials are supposed to wait for a certain period of time to ensure that breathalyzer test results do not reflect a false positive, but in some instances, they may fail to do so.

If you believe that your breathalyzer test results were not valid for any reason, it is essential to review your legal options closely. In some cases, people have been able to challenge these results successfully and avoid a conviction that would have shattered their lives in all sorts of ways. For more related to breathalyzer tests and other DUI topics, browse through our website.

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