§ Sir C. Bossomasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide information concerning the degree of accuracy of the breath testing equipment which has been purchased for use by the police to enforce the new drink and driving laws.
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§ Mr. Roy JenkinsWhen the devices were tested at the Home Office Central Research Establishment, Aldermaston, correct readings were obtained in all cases in which the blood alcohol concentrations were above 80 mgs. per 100mls. False positive indications were obtained in 8 out of 33 cases in which the level was below this figure. The breath-testing device will, of course, be used only for a preliminary check.
§ Sir C. Bossomasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is satisfied that there will be no risk, due to inaccuracy of the breath testing equipment to be used by the police to enforce the new drink and driving laws, that a driver with a blood/alcohol level of less than 80 milligrams/100 millilitres will be required to go to a police station and asked to submit to a blood or urine test.
§ Mr. Roy JenkinsSince breath testing devices are not precisely accurate analytical instruments, there must always be some risk of a false positive indication. But the requirement in the Road Safety Act that a second breath test must be administered at the police station before a blood or urine sample is taken will reduce the risk of a motorist being subjected to those additional tests as a result of inaccurate breath testing devices.