DUI lawyers are keenly interested in the science behind breath testing to determine blood alcohol concentration. Since the time the automobile became mass produced in this country, workers in the scientific and law enforcement professions have been interested in measuring the amount of alcohol a driver has consumed before getting behind the wheel. Scientists as early as the late 1800s speculated that breath testing would be an effective way to measure a person's blood alcohol content, but it was not until the 1930s that a workable device resembling what we now call a "breathalyzer" was first invented. Breath testing was seen as a more practical and less intrusive way for law enforcement officials to measure a driver's level of intoxication than blood testing. Additionally, many people were concerned about a police officer's ability to administer a blood test without medical personnel present.
The first mass produced product for breath testing was known as a "Drunkometer" and was invented in 1938. The Drunkometer worked by having the motorist release an air sample into a large balloon. The breath sample would then be treated with a chemical compound that would change the color of the solution based on the presence of alcohol. The Drunkometer was a very rudimentary device. Police officers would have to make a subjective judgment about the amount of alcohol in a person's blood based on the color of the solution once it had been treated. A subsequent device, the "Intoximeter," created in 1941, also treated the breath sample with a chemical solution to determine the subject's level of intoxication.
While breath testing can be extremely inaccurate, the technology has certainly advanced beyond roadside balloons. There has been a recent push for more blood testing, due to the higher rates of accuracy, but the blood test seems to cause higher rates of refusal and is difficult for police officers rather than medical staff to administer.
If you have been arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, contact the attorneys at Musca Law.
The first mass produced product for breath testing was known as a "Drunkometer" and was invented in 1938. The Drunkometer worked by having the motorist release an air sample into a large balloon. The breath sample would then be treated with a chemical compound that would change the color of the solution based on the presence of alcohol. The Drunkometer was a very rudimentary device. Police officers would have to make a subjective judgment about the amount of alcohol in a person's blood based on the color of the solution once it had been treated. A subsequent device, the "Intoximeter," created in 1941, also treated the breath sample with a chemical solution to determine the subject's level of intoxication.
While breath testing can be extremely inaccurate, the technology has certainly advanced beyond roadside balloons. There has been a recent push for more blood testing, due to the higher rates of accuracy, but the blood test seems to cause higher rates of refusal and is difficult for police officers rather than medical staff to administer.
If you have been arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, contact the attorneys at Musca Law.
