| The reliability of alcoholism tests are often called into | | | | the environment temperature, the body temperature of |
| question. There are several tests administered to | | | | the individual tested can impact results. The machine's |
| people suspected of having too much to drink. The | | | | temperature also impacts the reading. Questions of |
| reliability of several tests has successfully been | | | | reliability may arise based on who is administering the |
| challenged in court. | | | | test. If that person is not trained properly or just does |
| Challenges to reliability often occur when the test used | | | | not administer the test correctly, the result can be a |
| is considered subjective or indirect. Results of | | | | misreading. However, many courts continue to rely |
| breathalyzer tests are often challenged based on the | | | | solely on the technology of the breathalyzer machine. |
| analyzer being an indirect measurement of the level of | | | | Field sobriety tests appear to be more reliable. In fact, |
| alcohol in someone's blood stream. The analyzer is | | | | the variables involved here are even more subjective. |
| basically establishing a blood alcohol level from the air | | | | Not everyone can walk a straight line, sober or not. If a |
| breathed into it by the individual being tested. The | | | | person has an equilibrium disorder, she may not be |
| problem with this is that it is not a controlled | | | | able to walk straight. Police officers and other testers |
| environment. There are too many variables at hand to | | | | have no way of knowing if someone has a physical or |
| ensure reliability. | | | | health condition that negatively impacts their sobriety |
| The first variable is the air itself. The analyzer is not a | | | | test. |
| vacuum. So there is air going into the analyzer that is | | | | The reliability of alcoholism tests to measure blood |
| not from the individual. Some judges have determined | | | | alcohol content continues to be questioned. Convictions |
| that enough to deem the test unreliable because the | | | | have been overturned in some courts. While we need |
| readings cannot possibly be accurate. The test will | | | | to protect the public from individuals who are |
| read a false positive if there are other alcohol-based | | | | intoxicated and potentially harmful to themselves or |
| fumes in the vicinity. Cologne and mouth wash are said | | | | others, we also need to protect those same individuals |
| to trigger inaccurate readings because of the diluted | | | | from improper fines and jail time because of unreliable |
| alcohol in their ingredients. | | | | alcohol tests. |
| Another critical variable is temperature. In addition to | | | | |