Not every driver will get a perfect reading from a breathalyzer on the first try during a traffic safety inspection. An important detail often slips through the cracks and can change the outcome of the test.
Breathalyzers do not self-clean. If a person exhales into the device repeatedly, the readings can become artificially high. A driver whose breath alcohol concentration is actually below the legal limit may be flagged simply because the device has been exposed to multiple exhalations in succession. The consequence can be a reading that does not reflect the true level in the breath at the moment of testing.
This misreading pattern is common: the device may not show a result on the first attempt, prompting a second try, then another. The instinct is to keep blowing, but that practice is risky. Alcohol vapors cling to the interior surfaces with each exhale, and with every additional attempt, the amount of residual vapor increases. That buildup can skew results in the direction of higher readings.
Another crucial point is how breath samplings are recorded. The device measures a continuous exhalation that lasts longer than five seconds. The important factor is not the force of the blow or the volume of air expelled. What matters is a single, steady exhale that lasts the required duration.
- In Yoshkar-Ola, there was an incident where a driver ran a red light at multiple intersections.
- Programs like “Behind the Wheel” have content available on RuTube, illustrating real-world outcomes of impaired driving.