Could ignition interlocks or in-car breathilizers be fooled by filling a balloon up with air then releasing?

Question

the air into the device.
I don't ask this because i want to do this or have one of these on my car. I only ask because of an article i just read about the devices being placed on peoples cars in some states and also out of curiosity..

Thank you for the intelligent responses. To the few people who said something about going and trying it, well if i had one of these then i would just walk to my car and try it. I was just wondering the mechanics of it.

Also i do think a drunk could have the forethought to throw a few balloons in their car before heading out to the bars. It's not that hard, a lot of them are functioning and hold jobs and get dressed before they leave the house.

I just wonder if a lot of money is being wasted on something that could be easily fooled, of course you could have a sober person blow but first you must find a sober person who wants to do that for you and then why wouldn't the sober person just drive.

I didn't know about the temperature but i think the pressure could be overridden by pressing with your finger. As far as 10 seconds goes balloons hold a lot of air and you can nearly pass out blowing those up too.

Answer 1

These things are useless. The real problem dui's are hardcore alcoholics. They just find a junker car with valid current registration, buy it, do not re-register it or get insurance and that becomes their "Drinking car" The only purpose the interlock devices serve is to make money for the companies who supply them.

Answer 2

My boyfriend has one on his car and there is no way that a balloon would work. I'm not sure how every device works out there but his and alot of others that I have seen require you not to blow but hum, this is so it can register your deep down in your lungs air. When I first tried it I almost freaked out driving down the street. I couldn't do it, but once I realized how it actually worked it was a cinch.
But honestly I really think that the thing is a joke. I know people drive drunk, cause accidents and kill people but that alone on a persons mind I think would be punishment enough. I wonder how many people who have this installed in their cars actually learn the real lesson that its trying to teach them? I doubt any!! I think instead of having them pay a monthly service fee for the unit, they should have to pay the families who have lost someone due to a drunk driver?
The courts don't do that because then the state wouldn't be making a buck. It's just a way for the courts and whoever else benefits from it to get money from you. Yea there is a victims restitution fee that's included in the fines but who decides how much should go where. And does that money actually get to any victims?

Answer 3

For every security device invented there is someone who can figure a way around it. I am a certified locksmith, as well as being a preacher, and I can tell you that there is no such thing as a pick-proof lock. In the past I have seen locks marketed as pick-proof, but some enterprising locksmith comes along and develops a pick the will bust right through it. You idea seems like it would work unless there is a pressure sensitive device on the contraption wherein the person in the driver's seat would have to exert a certain amount of pressure to override the system.

Answer 4

Yes, and no. The other folks are right, but the design was to prevent that with an internal thermometer. The air has to be the right temperature. Considering you would have to fill the baloon up before you drank, you would have to have someway of getting the balloon to body temperature before releasing. That whole thing about PSI is ridiculous, they don't do that. It has a temperature gauge to make sure a person is blowing into it.

Answer 5

Nope. You have to blow constant for a certain period of time at a certain pressure to make sure it registers. THE Reason for the time frame and the constant pressure is to enure the device is getting deep lung air (the only place that would give the device a valid reading). It helps to prevent from getting false positives from mouthwash, etc. It also detects temp and the like so you would have to come up with a very clever mechanism tofool it. You would be better off paying some dude walking down the street to blow into the device for you.

Answer 6

I work in the admin section of a work release facility. Every time one of the residents comes back from wherever (home visit, work ,ect.) they get breathalized. I don't think the balloon would work because our breathalizer requires a good 10 seconds of hard blowing air. I tested it once and got dizzy from it.

Secondly, I don't think such devices would work anyways. What's to stop a sober passenger from blowing into the machine for the drunk driver (other than a lack of morals)?

Answer 7

provided the balloon could exert enough pressure to fill the chamber and move the valve, theoretically, it can be beaten.

Now the next question: Would a drunk be smart enough to care about filling a balloon before hand? Probably not.

Answer 8

These car interlocks are regulated to a certain PSI, you can try, but it will register a bad test.

Answer 9

interesting question and answers.......that is something i had never thought of before. i have seen the interlock required as a bond condition for felony DWIs (3rd or more offense) and upon conviction or a DWI 2nd or DWI 3rd/more, but never thought about it further or wondered how defendants might get around it.......other than get a sober person to blow into it for the drunk one.

Answer 10

the newest devices being used in Texas now have a video camera device to stop people from trying to fool it. It also stops people now from getting friends to blow into the device for them.