When authorities pull you over in Missouri and think you consumed alcohol before getting behind the wheel, you can anticipate that they will request that you blow into a Breathalyzer so they can get a better sense of your degree of intoxication. Depending on the results of your breath test, you may wind up facing a driving while intoxicated charge, and if that charge ends up leading to a conviction, you can plan on facing some harsh repercussions in the aftermath.
Jail time, steep fines and a loss of your driver’s license are just a few of the penalties you can face for drinking and driving, and because so much rides on the results of that breath test, it is imperative that you have faith that the test produced accurate results. Breathalyzers are not fool-proof devices, however, and there are a number of elements that can throw them off and lead to false results.
Diabetes
If you are living as a diabetic, know that your condition has the capacity to make it appear as if you have been drinking, when in actuality, you have not been. Breath tests typically detect acetone, and while the presence of acetone can make it look like you have been drinking, you may simply have it on your breath because of your health condition.
Electronic interference
Strangely enough, electronic interference from outside sources also has the capacity to offset the results of your breath test. If, for example, you take your breath test near a cellphone tower, this could potentially impact your test results. Police radios and other possible sources of electronic interference could potentially do the same.
While these are two factors that can alter the results of your breath test, there are several others, including temperature and whether the testing device underwent proper calibration, that can impact the results of your breath test.
