4 ms·

So... if i build and sell a "breathalyzer" to your local pd that simply randomly selects a number between .08 and .16, you'd be ok with that? Pretty much every

by jfoutz 11y ago

So... if i build and sell a "breathalyzer" to your local pd that simply randomly selects a number between .08 and .16, you'd be ok with that? Pretty much every other element of the system is biased toward conviction. Police have quotas. Prosecutors need convictions. Private prisons get more money for more convicts. It would be easy to dodge questions for a long, long time. Why would police administer the test to a sober person? In this one weird example a sober person registered as drunk. oh well, its still good for 99.9% of other cases. The right to confront your accuser is there for a reason. More and more, software is the accuser. We all, at HN, struggle to make our code correct. Step back, think a second, how do you QA a breathalyzer? How do you deal with variations in sensor packages? Yes, they probably do more good than harm, but are they "accurate"? how do you know that?

furyg3 11y ago
I think you guys agree: > Should breathalyzer code be held from review just because it's a product made by somebody? Nope.
ubernostrum 11y ago
Breathalyzers are known to be wildly inaccurate, to such an extent that in some jurisdictions DUI is just defined in terms of a breathalyzer result because they know it doesn't bear a reliable relationship to the actual BAC.
- Cthulhu_ 11y ago
  But is it accurate enough to say "you're drunk driving"? IIRC at least on this side of the pond, if you're caught you either get fined, or you're taken to the station for a more accurate breath test or a blood test.
  - ubernostrum 11y ago
    In the US, you have the right to request a blood test, but the blood test is not required and the breathalyzer is considered sufficient evidence (again, since the offense is defined in terms of the breathalyzer).
efaref 11y ago
Scams like this absolutely do happen, with potentially deadly consequences. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-29459896 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-29459896

by jfoutz 11y ago

furyg3 11y ago

I think you guys agree: > Should breathalyzer code be held from review just because it's a product made by somebody? Nope.

ubernostrum 11y ago

Breathalyzers are known to be wildly inaccurate, to such an extent that in some jurisdictions DUI is just defined in terms of a breathalyzer result because they know it doesn't bear a reliable relationship to the actual BAC.

Cthulhu_ 11y ago
But is it accurate enough to say "you're drunk driving"? IIRC at least on this side of the pond, if you're caught you either get fined, or you're taken to the station for a more accurate breath test or a blood test.
- ubernostrum 11y ago
  In the US, you have the right to request a blood test, but the blood test is not required and the breathalyzer is considered sufficient evidence (again, since the offense is defined in terms of the breathalyzer).

efaref 11y ago

Scams like this absolutely do happen, with potentially deadly consequences. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-29459896 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-29459896