Limited Electromagnetic Interference Testing of Evidential Breath Testers

Details

• Corporate Creators:
  Law Enforcement Standards Laboratory
• Corporate Contributors:
  United States. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  • Alcohol breath tests
  • Radio frequency interference
  • Equipment tests
• Publication/ Report Number:
  DOT-HS-806 400 ; NTIS-PB84198829
• DOI:
  https://doi.org/10.21949/1525152
• Resource Type:
  Research Paper
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States
• Corporate Publisher:
  United States. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Abstract:
  This report summarizes a limited test program conducted to determine the susceptibility of evidential breath testers (EBTs) to radio frequency interference (RFI). Several comprehensive test protocols were prepared based on procedures developed by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and Smith & Wesson (manufacturer of the Breathalyzer EBTs). NHTSA endorsed a modification of the Minnesota protocol and developed a videotape training package to complement its written instructions. NHTSA also recommended that police radios not be allowed to transmit signals in EBT test rooms, mobile vans, and by the roadside when breath analyses are being conducted. These materials, the training procedures and the videotape, were distributed to each Governor's Highway Safety Representative, each State Police chief and each State chemical test program director during January 1983. As of the date of this publication, comprehensive test programs using the recommended protocol have been conducted in Arizona, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas. The results of these screening test programs indicate that less than one percent of the devices tested were found to be susceptible to RFI in the environments where they were used.
• Format:
  PDF
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/1370/dot_1370_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.25 MB]
• Collection(s):
  NHTSA - Behavioral Safety Research
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:2ac01996c312c8dc10452b2cf5e3305c8f1003c52fc30ec73bc72480d016032d