Put simply, an alcotest or Breathalyzer test analyzes the contents of your breath to determine the concentration of alcohol in the blood. In principle, the machine works fine and is based on a solid principle, however, it can misreport the situation. A false positive means that even if you are sober, it may report you as drunk, falsely. This will lead to a DUI arrest, and the situation will be all the more disturbing considering that you’ll be wrongly accused in such a scenario.
This happens and more often than you think. If you are wrongly accused in such a case, it is important to understand your options so that you can act reasonably and avoid trouble for yourself. Getting rough with the arresting officer is never a good idea, even if you’re being wrongly accused, instead, you should keep a grip on your senses and make smart decisions to be out of the mess as soon as possible. Your DUI defense attorney will be your palisade against this barrage of false accusations; just stay calm, and this whole nightmarish episode will hopefully come to an end soon.
Let’s begin with understanding the problem:
Why Do Breathalyzer Tests Give False Positives?
Alcotests have a bad history of giving false results, sometimes, the cause is technical, other times, there is an issue with the way the test is performed. But in any case, if you are wrongly accused, you have rights, and you should act smartly to exercise them.
The most important factor that can give a false positive for a Breathalyzer test is medication. Certain prescription medicine for asthma, cold, and cough, for instance, can give a wrong positive for an alcotest. Avoid getting behind the wheel if you’ve had some.
If you use breath sprays, mints, or certain mouthwashes that contain alcohol, to freshen up your breath, then beware that these products will spike up the readings for an alcotest, even if you’re not drunk.
On top of this, diabetic people, patients of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), acid reflux, asthma, and several other diseases can be tested positive on a Breathalyzer test even if they are not drunk in reality.
The problem may also lie in the equipment itself, as with any other device, the Breathalyzer can also become faulty or may misreport the readings if not calibrated correctly. Lastly, if the test itself was not conducted correctly then the results will be erroneous. For instance, if you’ve just had chewing gum, they must wait for at least 20 minutes before administering the test.
Thus it is not all too farfetched, a false positive is very much possible with an alcotest, so if the machine gives a positive reading, don’t assume that you are guilty of something you did not do. The law is not meant to suppress your freedoms, it protects them, now let’s see how you can best handle such a situation.
What To Do If Your Breathalyzer Test Falsely Shows Up As Positive?
Your behavior will matter a lot here, don’t misbehave with the arresting officer – mistakes are possible; just let them know that you are not drunk, very politely, for the record. No need to get rough or defensive, show them that you are a calm, reasonable person so that they treat you with respect as well. Here are a couple of things you need to understand:
- Stay calm and cooperate within reason
- Don’t resist arrest
- Don’t give any statements or answers until you’ve discussed things with your lawyer
- Ask not to be handcuffed during the arrest
- Don’t give your consent for a car search
- As soon as possible, get in touch with your lawyer
Contact Our Portland DUI Defense Lawyers Today
It is a hard pill to swallow, but you’ll have to be a bit patient if you are to prove your innocence. The law guarantees you the right to legal representation, and you don’t have to give any statements until you’ve discussed the matter in complete detail with your DUI defense attorney. If the results were false, then you’re in the clear, and your lawyer will see to it that you are allowed to go free. Just remember to keep your cool in such a stressful situation, this will make all the difference!
Call the Trilogy Law Group if you ever run into such trouble, we will see to it that your rights are respected, and you get through this mess as soon as possible.
