What is a Breathalyzer

We all heard about breathalyzers and how they are used by authorities to determine if a drunk driver caused an accident or not.  Read our blog post to find out what a breathalyzer is.  You should also keep in mind that if you are caught with DUI, upon next renewal the premiums will be extremely high.  We recommend you to get a quote for car insurance if this happens and not only. Shopping around is the best way to keep car insurance affordable.

Many officers in the field rely on breath alcohol testing devices (Breathalyzer is one type) to determine the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) in drunken-driving suspects.

A breathalyzer (or breathalyser) is a device for estimating blood alcohol content (BAC) from a breath sample. “Breathalyzer” is the brand name of a model made by one manufacturer of these instruments (originally Smith and Wesson, later National Draeger), but has become a generalized trademark for all such instruments.

Breath analyzers don’t directly measure blood alcohol content or concentration, which requires the analysis of a blood sample. Instead, they estimate BAC indirectly by measuring the amount of alcohol in one’s breath.

The concentration of the alcohol in the alveolar air is related to the concentration of the alcohol in the blood. As the alcohol in the alveolar air is exhaled, it can be detected by the breath alcohol testing device.. The Breathalyzer uses a chemical reaction involving alcohol that produ­ces a color change. The device has a mouthpiece, a tube through which the suspect blows air, and a sample chamber where the air goes.

The consequences of refusing a breathalyzer test can be severe dependent on your state’s laws. If you refuse to take a breathalyzer test, you may have your license automatically suspended from 90 days all the way up to a year.

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by Ciprian Gurgu