What is the Alcotest Machine?

The Alcotest 7110 is the machine that has been approved by the New Jersey Supreme Court to provide reliable breath samples in alleged drunk driving cases. (State v. Chun) This machine is a significant change from the old Breathalyzer machine that was previously used. The most significant difference between these two machines is the Alcotest leaves very little room for operator error- in that it is computerized. The old Breathalyzer machine relied heavily on the machine operator in determining what a persons blood alcohol level (BAC) was. The Alcotest calculates a person's BAC and digitally reports it. However, the Alcotest does require an operator to follow stringent procedures as adopted by the New Jersey Supreme Court. These procedures dictate how an operator must administer the Alcotest to obtain a valid breath sample; how the machine should be calibrated; how breath samples should be averaged to calculate a true BAC; and what an acceptable margin of error is.

In recent cases, there have been considerable issues involving the Alcotest machine's ability to provide reliable breath samples. Many issues that I have seen involve the maintenance of the machine itself, which includes issues surround the calibration of the machine. There is a recent issue regarding the use of a "substitute" temperature probe by municipal police departments that may be contrary to State v. Chun. (I say "may" because the issue has not been resolved in the courts yet.)

Issues involving the Alcotest are complex, and in most cases, require the need for an expert to evaluate.