Breathalyzer Accuracy in Actual Law Enforcement Practice: A Comparison of Blood- and Breath-Alcohol Results in Wisconsin Drivers

• NCJ Number: 107191
• Journal: Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 32 Issue: 5 Dated: (September 1987) Pages: 1235-1240
• Author(s): P Harding; P H Field
• Date Published: 1987
• Length: 6 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Breathalyzer and blood-alcohol results from drivers arrested for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated and for related offenses were compared during a 2-year period.

Abstract

Four hundred and four pairs of breath- and blood-alcohol results from specimens collected within 1 hour of each other were studied. Blood-alcohol concentrations ranged from zero to 0.421 percent weight per volume (w/v). Breath-alcohol concentrations ranged from zero to 0.44g/210L. The mean Breathalyzer result was 0.16g/L. The mean blood-alcohol result was 0.176 percent w/v. Compared to the blood-alcohol result, Breathalyzer results were lower by more than 0.10g/210L 61 percent of the time, within 0.01g/210L 33 percent of the time, and higher by more than 0.01g/210L 6 percent of the time. (Author abstract)