A Overview of the Washington Breathalyzer

On August 30, 2009 in Uncategorized

Unless you are a Seattle theft attorney or someone charged with a DUI, you likely have no desire to know the background of the DataMaster, which is Washington State’s version of the intoxilyzer contraption. If you still don’t know, it is the machine you blow into that creates a reading of your breath alcohol content - if it is above .08, you are presumed to be driving drunk in Seattle.

But how did we get to the intoxilyzer? Where did it come from, and how can we be precise that it is doing what it is supposed to be doing? Well, I did a little research (mostly on the internet) and found a little information I thought might be worth sharing. So, here it is.

As a Seattle DUI attorney this is at least partially interesting to me. I know how inaccurate the DataMaster can be, and this just goes to show some of the thinking that went into choosing an unreliable, poorly made machine.

To begin, in the early 1980’s, the Washington State crime people decided it was time to get rid of their old breathalyzer machine and move to a new and improved infra red technology. Apparently the machines they were using before these were even more unreliable - oh to be a criminal defense lawyer back in the day. At that time there was more than just one breath alcohol machine, there were four: the Intoxilyzer 5000; the Intoximeter 3000; the Breathalyzer 2000; and the BAC Verifier (also known as the DataMaster).

To determine which breathalyzer they would use, they did tests (makes sense). They tested for accuracy, precision, and blood/breath correlation. And the results were fascinating - the DataMaster was the worst pretty much at everything. And the winner - the Intoxilyzer, who the Washington State crime people said they wanted. So, which machine did Washington choose? Which machine would decide the future of many Seattle citizens, be relied on as truth in court, and damn hundreds of people with little to no hope of retribution? You guessed it - the cheapest one.

Little did the state know it would be keeping Seattle DUI lawyers in business for years to come.

And when they were ordered, what happened? The Verifier people presented a completely new machine, tested by no one, but still accepted by the state. After several glitches in the putting together process and delivery of machines that just plain didn’t work, the DataMaster employees got their act together and delivered on the contract. Too bad the machine is terribly wrong.

If you are charged with a DUI in Seattle don’t wait to hire a DUI lawyer. Do it today. The earlier you get help on your side, the earlier they can begin fighting for you.

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