When a Wisconsin resident is pulled over and asked to submit to an alcohol breath test he may panic and want to refuse the process. Whether that person chooses to refuse to submit is up to him, but test refusal can come with serious legal consequences including an immediate license suspension. A person in just such a situation may wonder if there are alternatives to understanding his blood alcohol concentration that can be utilized before being stopped by a law enforcement official.
Over the last decade a range of personal breathalyzer devices have become available for sale. They fall into a variety of price points and though they have different features, each purports to provide users with an accurate assessment of their intoxication. Personal breathalyzer devices use similar technology to that of the devices used by police officers.
A personal breathalyzer device will generally require a person to blow into it and from that sample the device will offer an assessment of the user's intoxication level. Problems can arise, however, just as they can with the use of a police-ordered breathalyzer test. Breathalyzer devices should be properly calibrated to give accurate readings and users should follow the devices' instructions carefully to ensure that they are given proper readings.
In short, breath test devices can work when they are used as designed. A privately executed breath test may stop a person from getting behind the wheel and later facing a police officer's request to submit to a breathalyzer in an official capacity. However, Wisconsin police officers will not rely on the results of private breathalyzer devices and may request that drivers suspected of operating while under the influence of alcohol retake breath tests with police-sanctioned machine