It is an offense or a criminal offense to drive while under the influence of alcohol. The difference is the amount of alcohol in the exhaled air. This number is indicated by devices called breathalyzers. Breathalyzers measure very accurately; nevertheless a certain measurement error is predicted.
What is a breathalyzer measurement error?
The measurement error of the breathalyzer is the error provided by the manufacturer of the device and admitted by the Federal Government Laws, which the device may commit when it measures the alcohol concentration in the exhaled air. In other words, the Federal Government allows for a slight difference between the amount of alcohol in the air exhaled by the driver and what can be seen on the display of the breathalyzer. It is then said about a measurement inaccuracy in a fully operational meter.
What measurement error
The size of the error allowed by the Federal Government is not the same for all devices. Detailed information on this subject can be found in the technical description of each breathalyzer of a given manufacturer. Before use, all devices are tested by the Federal Government. This test is the basis for approving a given meter for use by the police. Drivers’ sobriety testing devices are subject to systematic checks. Their accuracy is checked every six months during the calibration procedure.
Measurement uncertainty of a breathalyzer
The measurement uncertainty of the breathalyzer is an indicator of the accuracy of the measurement of the amount of alcohol in the exhaled air. This concentration is measured by the police using two devices. These are stationary breathalyzers and handheld breathalyzers. Each of these devices has a margin of error strictly defined by the manufacturer. This margin is specified in the calibration certificate of each device. A typical margin of error is 0.01-0.02 milligrams of breath alcohol. This means that the measurement on the device may differ from the actual amount of alcohol in the exhaled air by 0.01 or 0.02 each way. It can therefore be lower or higher than the real value by one of these values. This value is listed in the technical data of the breathalyzer.
Who can use a breathalyzer?
It is not only the police who have the power to determine the alcohol level in the exhaled air. The driver examination in this respect can also be performed by the road transport inspection, border guards and customs authorities. The sobriety of soldiers can be checked by military police. All these services must use devices approved for use by the Federal Government.
Stationary and portable breathalyzers
The amount of alcohol exhaled by the driver is tested with a handheld device. The most popular handheld device of this type is the Soberlink- handheld exhalation analyzer. The measurements indicated by these devices constitute evidence in cases involving drunk driving in a motor vehicle or bike. Each of these devices has dedicated software and a built-in camera to take a photo of the man, with the findings and all of the data stored on Soberlink’s own software that enables immediate printing of measurement results. These printouts are part of the sobriety test protocol. The protocol together with the printout is part of the documentation of the criminal case, filed against a driver who drives a car or bicycle while drunk. For knowing more about Soberlink reviews, click on the link.
