Massachusetts Breath Test
Have you recently been arrested for operating under the influence (OUI) in Massachusetts? If so, it is very important that you contact a law firm that has experience with OUI law in the area. A good attorney will walk you through the court system to make sure that you have a fighting chance at avoiding the penalties that come with a drunk-driving conviction.
If you were pulled over on suspicion of OUI, the police officer more than likely asked you to take a breath test. It has become increasingly common in the past few years for law enforcement agencies to rely on breath tests in order to establish guilt in a drunk-driving case. Breath tests are a cost-effective and convenient way for police to determine BAC (blood alcohol content). They are also not as intrusive or painful as drawing blood from a driver to determine his or her blood alcohol level.
Why is it important to know the driver’s BAC? Massachusetts is a “per se” state. This means that if the driver’s BAC is over .08 percent, he or she can be convicted of OUI. For a driver under the age of 21, this limit is .02 percent.
There are many different machines that are used for breath testing across the United States. The Intoxilyzer Model 5000 is used the most frequently for law enforcement departments. The second most common breath machine is the Intoxilyzer 4011, which is an older version than the 5000 model.
The different machines use different methods for analyzing the alcohol in a person’s breath. The Intoxilyzer models use infrared spectroscopic analysis. This analysis works on the principal that light waves of a certain frequency will be absorbed by alcohol vapors. To determine the alcohol concentration, the amount of light that reaches a receptor at the opposite end of the chamber is measured. The computer translates the measurements into BAC.
Many people question how accurate these breath tests actually are. It is crucial that you hire an attorney who knows how to challenge these machines in court.
If you would like to speak to an attorney in Massachusetts about your breath test results, please fill out our online form today.

