Random Breath Tests...????

[shagga66]

Have you had any bad stories with these devices...?

I got breath tested last night about 6:00pm and the police officer asked if I had anything to drink today, and I said "No mate haven't had a drink since new years eve or a few days after" he says well he doesn't think so....I'm like WTF.

For people that don't know me, I don't drink much at all, maybe 2 times a year if that. I told him that his machine must be stuffed as I don't drink. I bet they all hear that.

Anyway he asked to see my license and then told me that I wasn't over .05 but it does say that I had alcohol that day.

My last drink of alcohol was maybe on the 3rd of Jan, a few weeks ago.

Everyone I have told that I had booze on my breath laughed and said Yeah right.

I cant see it being correct.

Anyone else had this happen, please don't post that you blew .25 and you were certain that you hadn't had more than 1 drink...lol

Shagga.

[watchdog]

yeah , I had it happen a couple of years ago. I'de just left the squash courts after a comp game , blew in the gadget and they said I was over and asked me for my licence. This I didn't have cause I had left my wallet at home. They put me in the cop car & took me to the police station to have a go at the main machine. The result was negative so they gave me a fine for no licence & said see you later , out on the street with no way back to my car. I congratulated them on winning the consolation prize before one of the local detectives decided he would drop me off to get my car. Basically 80% of them are pricks , a feeling that is backed up by the few cops I know personally.

[ssrattus]

Recent use of mouth wash will give a reading.

Dieters and the diabetic can have high levels of acetone in their breath that is measured as alcohol by older breath testers.

[global88]

Im i the same boat as you were Shagga, the max id have through a whole year is 2 or 3 beers.
Pulled over one night, asked if id had any, said no, blew, he looked at me funny and said id had afew, but still under the limit and let me go??????
Maybe theyre just having a laugh, being sacastic.

Mentioned it to my brother who is a lawyer and he started with some of the tricks to being let of if your caught.
Some cunning tricks if you know your rights, but best not advertised because they would only be used for bad reasons, drink driving is not ok.

[roguefan99]

Breath Mints are another fine source of higher counts too, also the sprays (like Ssrattus said) can increase it a bit too.

Its why I think its criminal that they can charge you and you have to organise the blood test instead of the police who wish to charge you. Then again I also think its criminal that they charge you for speed camera photos too, so I have a low opinion of traffic laws and their "justice" system. Its not that I disagree with the law just the way its implemented.

[smithster]

That is why the Preliminary test is only an indication and why you are taken back and put on the main machine. The main machine, at least in Vic measures the reading in 2 ways, it then compares both readings and if they are different the test is aborted. I also assume you understand that blood readings will generally be higher than a breath test, if the Police started to pay for the blood tests then they would start charging people with the higher reading. It is only policy that they use the lower reading.

[Padre]

"This I didn't have cause I had left my wallet at home. They put me in the cop car & took me to the police station to have a go at the main machine. The result was negative so they gave me a fine for no licence & said see you later "

I remember coming home from a gig an got breathalysed, they told me i was 0.3 and i said their machine was wrong coz i just finished work.
The dipshit wanted to argue so i demanded he take me to the station to do the second test which came out negative.
The point her was that if someone was at .2, it would have read .5

The second part here aboutthe license. Ive been pulled over many times without mine, and so long as u know ur license number, they cant do shit about it. If youre unlicensed its a different story, but they cant force u to carry it.. i mean what if you tel them you lost it? YOU cop a fine? no...

[SystemRat]

In Victoria it’s an offence not to carry your license while driving now and you can be fined for not producing it. I am not sure how rigidly that is enforced and I think most cops here use discretion and let it slide depending on the client’s attitude.

[xnavyman]

Here in Tassie it is compulsory to have your licence with you. I am like padre,I know my licence number but have never tested the theory of never having it with me.

[SystemRat]

The reason in Victoria is perhaps related to the low tolerance used with speed cameras here. In the interests of revenue raising the speed cameras here ping you for a few km’s over. – Opp’s sorry that’s not official terminology “In the interests of road safety the safety cameras here record an offence when you exceed the posted speed” The revenue ($380 mil) per year from the cameras is entirely incidental.

Anyway end of rant - sorry got distracted.

Because so many people here have lost their licenses due to loss of points there are lots more unlicensed drivers on the road hence the change in the fail to produce license provisions.

[watchdog]

I remember about 10yrs ago I read of someone getting off a speeding fine because the ADR states that speedo tolerance must be accurate to 10% & he used this arguement to get off because he was speeding by less than that amount. I think for a while after that the radars were set to pick you off only if you exceeded by more than 10%

[SystemRat]

The ADR tolerance was 10 % on cars up to a certain date then it changed. The tolerance allowed by police was believed to be 10% depending on the location. The Monash accident research centre (who are in my opinion a disgrace because they refuse to look at things like defensive driving courses as a means of reducing the road toll) recommended low level enforcement. The government I believe saw dollar signs in their eyes and have lowered the tolerance. The exact tolerance figure is a state secret but was blown by the SA police minister



The result of the lower tolerance is that the vast majority of people booked are booked for a few km’s over the limit and people who had never been booked before started getting tickets in the mail.

Interestingly recently someone successfully defended camera fine using information from the camera operation manual.

The government has now tried hard to prevent people getting hold of this document and threatened legal action over it. $$$$$$$$$

[shagga66]

Thanks for the reply's everyone, Good to see that they do go wrong sometimes and its not just me...lol
I have been dieting for a while now, well not dieting, more like eating healthier, turns out that the day I got tested, I didnt have anything to eat since the night before because of work being busy. So that maybe had something to do with it.

Cheers
Shagga

[roguefan99]

That would be exactly the cause shagga. As Ssrattus stated dieters have this problem, and if you dont eat for quite a while when the body changes over its metabolism (changes from carbos to fats) it produces ketones which do get picked up in the system I believe (activate same was as acetone).

Guess it demonstrates you a burning fat at the time so maybe when you wish to do a ketone test you just need to go down to the local breatho.

[weirdo]

Guess it demonstrates you a burning fat at the time

Solution, don't have a burning fat whilst driving
Sorry guys, it's sort of expected of me

[shagga66]

Solution, don't have a burning fat whilst driving
Sorry guys, it's sort of expected of me

ROFL....

[vbthanks]

I know a bloke who had 1 drink when was he 18 and never drank alcohol again. He had a rum and raisin ice block at the swimming pool one day... and registered on the way home.

A low reading... but it registered.

[z80]

This I didn't have cause I had left my wallet at home. They put me in the cop car & took me to the police station to have a go at the main machine. The result was negative so they gave me a fine for no licence & said see you later , out on the street with no way back to my car. I congratulated them on winning the consolation prize before one of the local detectives decided he would drop me off to get my car. Basically 80% of them are pricks , a feeling that is backed up by the few cops I know personally.

I successfully argued that i wasn't given ample opportunity to look for the licence in the car, and that on returning to the car I found it with my registration papers in the console.

I challenged it in The Ferntree Gully Magistrates court and WON.

It tied up 6 senior public servants for 40 minutes and I watched the cop get his arse kicked in court.

It was a maximum of $100 if i lost, the initial fine was $50.

**** them....challenge it on the same basis...if the magistrate hears that the SAME copper didn't offer to take you back to your car he will get his arse kicked.


Argue that you were rattled by the false allegations of alcohol abuse and couldn't think where you had put your licence in the glovebox.


You will definitely win.

I wanna come and watch you win.....

[me_ashman]

Solution, don't have a burning fat whilst driving
Sorry guys, it's sort of expected of me

Or delivering too maybe....check this bloke!

[evil_jesus]

HAhah awesome link cept for the 13yo part :S

LOL make sure you read that he is part of the church as well!
A man of god, flashing his penis at 13 & 60yo's, says it all doesn't it?

Back on topic:
Never had a problem with em. I've lost 3 points and 1 point from my license (on my P's in QLD) so i've gotta be good for another while yet, but that was for speeding, never a drinking related offence.