Washington State Patrol unveils new breath test technology

The Washington State Patrol unveiled new breath-testing devices that the agency says will more effectively remove impaired drivers from the streets and highways.

The Patrol has spent nearly four years working on the Draeger Alcotest 9510 instrument, which will replace the National Patent Analytical Systems DataMaster that has been in use since the 1980s.

The new Draeger device will use a dry gas standard instead of a liquid solution to verify that the instrument is working properly, no longer making it necessary for technicians to make as many visits to check the status of the liquid solution used by the older instruments. The gas contains a known concentration of alcohol, allowing the instrument to verify that a suspect’s breath alcohol is being measured accurately and reliably.

The Patrol received legislative approval in 2010 to switch to the dry gas and work began immediately so the new instruments would fit into the state’s DUI program.

The Patrol expects to begin deploying the new Draeger instruments in time for the December holiday season.