Police officers have to make sure that they keep the roads as safe as possible. In order to do this, they must try to keep dangerous drivers, including those who are impaired, off the roads.
When officers stop a vehicle because they suspect the driver is drunk, they need to conduct an investigation on the side of the road to determine if that’s the case. This can be done using an interview, a field sobriety test and breath tests. A breath test can be done on the side of the road, but that’s not a test that’s admissible in court.
Challenge with a roadside breath test
The roadside breath test is known as the preliminary alcohol screening (PAS) device. These devices are meant to provide the officer with an idea of what’s going on, but they aren’t calibrated like the stationary breath test devices that are usually housed at the police department.
A defendant’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is one of the pivotal points in a drunk driving case. Results from a stationary breath test device, a urine test or a blood test are considered reliable enough to be admissible in court. Even though that’s the case, there’s still a chance that the results can be challenged if the equipment isn’t calibrated properly or handled correctly.
People who are facing drunk driving charges can often have multifaceted strategies to fight those charges. Working with someone who’s familiar with these cases is often beneficial because that individual can help them go through the defense strategy options and determine what to include as they battle this case.