If a law enforcement official pulls you over on suspicion of drunk driving in Connecticut, you will likely be asked to submit to a breath test using a device called a Breathalyzer. Though broadly used, Breathalyzers are not immune to error, and there are numerous factors that can impact their accuracy. Joseph J. Colarusso, Attorney at Law, has a comprehensive understanding of the outside factors that can make your breath test produce an inaccurate reading, and he has considerable experience in helping Connecticut clients facing drunk driving charges.
The penalties associated drinking and driving are severe, which highlights just how important an accurate Breathalyzer reading truly is. Among the things that can lead the device to produce a false reading is electronic interference. Alcohol Alert reports that electronic interference can come from a number of different sources, among them cellphone towers and police radios, and it can cause falsely elevated Breathalyzer readings that can land you in serious hot water.
You may, too, experience a falsely elevated Breathalyzer reading if you are diabetic. Your condition may cause your body to produce acetone, which can appear to elevate your blood alcohol content even if you have not, in fact, been drinking. If you have blood or vomit in your mouth when you take your breath test, this, too, can cause problems with your reading. Most law enforcement officials are aware of this, and they know to wait about 20 minutes or so after you vomit before they can test you again.
Dirt and moisture also have the capacity to offset your Breathalyzer reading, while excessive physical activity can have the reverse effect and lead you to produce a lower BAC reading than is accurate. More about drunk driving defense is available on our web page.
