By December 2015, every law enforcement agency in the state of Georgia must switch to a new type of Breathalyzer. That's according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Houston County Sheriff's office already got a head start. This new machine makes the process much more interactive.
"You can see on this one is the breath going in it," said Lieutenant Bradley Stone.
That's just one of the new features that come with the Intoxilyzer 9000, and the name isn't the only cool thing about it. The device comes with touch LCD screen.
Stone thinks the new device is much easier to use than the old one.
"This machine doesn't keep anything internally, no results or anything like that," said Stone. Instead, he has to manually log the results. but with this new device, technology does the work.
"This machine keeps the test results internally where the state patrol, when they do their quarterlies they can come back and look at them," said Stone.
The GBI says the reason for the switch is not because of any faults with the accuracy, but rather difficulties with obtaining parts.
But criminal defense attorney Keith Fitzgerald says the device is just too old.
"Anything that has a moving part to it, the more times you move the part, the more it's going to wear out," says Fitzgerald.
He says he's successful defended clients in the past by stating flaws with the equipment. He does believe the new Breathalyzer is more accurate, but like most devices, has a margin of error.
