What does accuracy measure in breath alcohol testing?

Accuracy in breath alcohol testing refers to how close the measured results are to the true value of the blood alcohol concentration (BAC). When evaluating a breathalyzer, such as the Intoxilyzer 9000, accuracy is crucial because it ensures that the device is providing readings that truly reflect an individual’s level of alcohol impairment.

An accurate instrument will yield a reading that is very similar to what a laboratory analysis would show if a blood sample were taken. This aspect is vital in legal contexts, as the results can impact judicial outcomes, including penalties and potential conviction for driving under the influence (DUI).

Factors such as calibration and reproducibility are important but are more related to the precision and reliability of the measurements rather than the accuracy itself. Calibration ensures the device is properly adjusted to provide valid results, while reproducibility speaks to the consistency of results across multiple tests, which feeds into the overall reliability but does not directly define accuracy.