Can Anyone Beat This Breath Test Machine?
A great Seattle DUI Attorney knows how to present the known variances and presumptions of the testing procedures utilized to garner a result and can effectively inform a jury when they are deciding on the accuracy and reliability of the readings. You may wonder, however, what can you do before you choose to drive, how do you know if you are okay to drive if you don't have a breath test device, how do you gauge your ability to drive after consuming alcohol (remember it is legal to do so!).
Quite frequently when I am at a dinner party or some other function and disclose that I am a DUI attorney, I'm inevitably asked the question, "what do I do if I get stopped" which then turns into "how can I beat the breath test?" Well, the fecious answer is "don't drink and drive" and of course that is true, but what about the person who has consumed alcoholic beverages responsibly and is now faced with a breath test?
That person knows in their mind they don't feel affected or impaired but have no idea how this machine measures breath. There are known variances which automatically raise your level which I've previously blogged about but here is another tip for those concerned with being near the per se ("legal limit") threshold of .08 and blowing over after drinking.
TIP: When you are taking a breath test, the machine (DataMaster) will record a proper sample at approximately 5 seconds and most assuredly at 8 seconds so your best bet is to blow only for that period. The officer or trooper will coach you and demand you blow much longer, but that minimum is all that is necessary for the machine to record a result. The reason this is important is because there is much research which indicates that the longer you blow the higher your result will be. Troopers regularly testify that when you blow longer it just records a "more accurate" sample but the truth is the longer you blow the "higher" your result, not more accurate. Law enforcement is trained on this concept and typically demand a 20 second or longer blow from a subject thereby increasing the sample. Meeting this minimum level will be recorded in the online database and probably won't make the officer happy due to their training to get you to blow longer, but the fact is if you submitted a proper blow and it was recorded, you complied with the request. Also, the result will be much lower than if you actually blow 20 seconds or more.
Some people will say that you should suck on a penny or some other object to skew the results, but I have not ever found that to be an accurate or advisable method.
Also, if you did submit to a breath test, always, I repeat, always ask for an independent blood draw. You cannot be denied that opportunity. If it was denied because you were booked into jail then the breath test results should be suppressed by the court.
If you or someone you know has been arrested for DUI, call today for immediate assistance from one of the "Top Attorneys" in Washington State for DUI Defense and Super Lawyer Rising Star and Superb rated DUI attorney (Avvo.com). Hundreds upon hundreds of satisfied DUI clients.
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