Blood Testing for Alcohol Levels

While a breathalyzer test has long been the standard way for police officers to measure blood alcohol concentration, there has been a recent move towards blood testing. There are a number of reasons that blood testing has become more common. The primary reason is that blood tests are generally more accurate than breathalyzer tests.

To find out more about blood testing for alcohol levels and what your rights are concerning the refusal of such testing, contact the experienced Rhode Island DUI defense attorney James Powderly at 401-662-9006 for a free initial consultation.

Advantages of Blood Testing

There are a number of reasons that blood testing is now much more common than it once was. These reasons include:

• Breathalyzer tests only estimate blood alcohol concentration, they do not measure it.

• There are many things that can affect the validity of a breathalyzer test .The breathalyzer test measures a number of different substances commonly in the body that may be similar in structure to alcohol. Things that can affect the results of a breathalyzer test include ambient temperature, body temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, and medication.

• A breathalyzer test may be improperly calibrated and thus return the wrong result

Invalid tests may make it more difficult to obtain convictions, thus the preference for blood tests. A blood test can be refused, but the refusing person may be handcuffed or taken into a police station. It is important to know your rights in these situations.

Contact Us

To find out more about blood testing for determining blood alcohol concentrations and your right to refusal, contact the experienced Rhode Island DUI defense attorney James Powderly at 401-662-9006.