This technology is called Fuel cell technology in which an electrical current is produced as a result of a chemical reaction taking place on the surface of an electrode system, this electrical current is used to give a digital display, move a needle or trigger certain lights on the device, depending on the amount of alcohol detected. The sensor is very accurate and sensitive to alcohol, however, it does not read deep lung air very accurate and may produce a false positive if someone has recently drank alcohol and it is still present in the mouth. There are many factors showing us that the Breathalyzer is very reliable and has the potential to produce accurate results in the event of it being used daily, nationwide. However, like many survey devices, flaws are present. One major flaw of the Breathalyzer are false positives. A false positive a test result which incorrectly indicates that a particular condition or attribute is …show more content…
Professional Breathalyzers used by law enforcement are instant, highly accurate and successful. This is because there is scientific research put into the making of the device that makes it so accurate. Using chemical compounds that uses a chemical reaction in the device to produce a color change and give an estimate of BAC. With modern technology being introduced in practically anything today, this can contribute to the accuracy of alcohol breath tests. Acetone, which painters can be exposed to, is at risk of interfering alcohol breath tests. However, with Electrochemical Fuel Cell technology in a Breathalyzer, it can not interfere with the test results because of how highly specific and sensitive it is to alcohol. At the risk of measuring alcohol that is still present in the mouth, you are required by law enforcement to wait 20 minutes before you take an alcohol breath test. This measure has been taken in order to prevent a false positive. My outlook on the validity and reliability of a Breathalyzer is greatly influenced by amount of things that hinder the results of an alcohol breath test. People come in contact with these things everyday, in fact they're probably included in their daily routine or is used daily to simply survive. There are so numerous interfering factors factors that can interfere with an alcohol breath test. As a result of this, we are also at risk of being charged with a DUI when