| It was recently reported that in Washington D.C. | | | | also makes similar assumption regarding your |
| that a mis-calibrated DUI breath testing machine | | | | breath to blood ratio. It assumes you have a |
| resulted in about 400 wrongful DUI convictions, | | | | 2100:1 breath to blood ratio, even though people |
| and 200 wrongful incarcerations. The breath | | | | actually vary between 1300:1 - 3100:1. You |
| machine test is substandard to actual blood tests | | | | guessed right - if you have lower ratio, say |
| for determining level of alcohol in the system, yet | | | | 1500:1, you're going to blow an "impaired" .10 BAC |
| states such as Georgia continue to use a flawed | | | | even though your actual blood alcohol content is a |
| machine. | | | | legal .07! |
| The breath test used in Georgia DUI's is the | | | | - Your body process alcohol unevenly when you |
| Intoxilyzer 5000 produced by CMI, Inc. in | | | | first start drinking. If you've had your first drink |
| Kentucky.This version of the Intoxilyzer 5000 is | | | | within the previous hour, alcohol content in your |
| an older version of the machine. The newer | | | | arteries is much higher than your veins - if you |
| machine is calibrated before each individual test as | | | | blow during this time frame - guess what? You'll |
| opposed to the device that Georgia uses, which is | | | | blow higher than your actual BAC. Reports have it |
| calibrated once a quarter, or every three months. | | | | that holding your breath for 30 seconds will yield a |
| In Florida, where the Intoxilyzer 8000 is used, it | | | | higher reading, and hyperventilating will produce a |
| averages 80 failures a month and consequently | | | | lower reading. So, your rate of breathing and |
| the more error prone Intoxilyzer 5000 is no | | | | breathing pattern also affects the test. |
| longer considered scientifically reliable in Florida. | | | | - Another assumption the GA DUI device makes |
| There are thousands of these machines in | | | | is that a certian concentration of red blood cells |
| Georgia, which means there's an average of 240 | | | | called hemocrit is going to 47%. As you may |
| inaccurate breath tests between calibrations - per | | | | have guessed, the actual levels vary from 42% - |
| machine. | | | | 52%. If you have lower hemocrit, you'll blow |
| How The Intoxilyzer 5000 skews Georgia DUI | | | | higher in the Georgia DUI breath machine. |
| Cases | | | | - There are a number of known household |
| - In order to calculate a blood alcohol content on | | | | substances that the Georgia DUI breath machines |
| your breath, the machine assumes your breath is | | | | mistakes for alcohol. They say it has filters, but |
| going to be 34 degrees celcius. Guess What? | | | | no one is allowed to test it, so sadly, no one really |
| Your breath varies plus or minus a degree which | | | | knows if it does or not. |
| can throw the results off by 7%.. Too bad if you | | | | These are just a few of the reasons not to trust |
| have a slight fever - you're going to blow a higher | | | | a Georgia DUI Breath test. Don't be taken |
| number! | | | | advantage of by the Georgia DUI machine! |
| - The machine used for Georgia DUI breath tests | | | | |
