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39 San Diego L. Rev. 563 (2002)
To Breathe, or Not to Breathe: Passive Alcohol Sensors and the Fourth Amendment

handle is hein.journals/sanlr39 and id is 573 raw text is: To Breathe, or Not to Breathe: Passive Alcohol Sensors and the Fourth Amendment* TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 563 II. A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF AMERICA'S DRUNK DRIVING PROBLEM .......................... 569 Im . SEIZING THE DRIVER .......................................................................................... 571 A. The Initial Stop of the Driver .................................................................... 571 B. Arresting the Driver ................................................................................. 575 IV. THE LAW AS IT PERTAINS TO SEARCHES ............................................................. 576 A. Flashlights ................................................................................................ 577 B. Breath Alcohol Screening Instruments ..................................................... 579 C. The Sniff er ................................................................................................ 581 V. THE REASONABLENESS INQUIRY ......................................................................... 584 A. The Privacy Interest ................................................................................. 585 B. The Character of the Intrusion ................................................................. 587 C. The Governmental Interests ...................................................................... 590 D. Balancing the Vemonia Factors ............................................................... 594 VI. CONCLUSION ...................................................................................................... 597 I. INTRODUCTION The P.A.S.Tm Passive Alcohol Sensor I (nicknamed the Sniffer) (Sniffer) stepped into the technology arena to do battle with drunk driving. Like any good battle, the fans are divided, with the Sniffer's maker, PAS Systems International, Inc., and law enforcement officials on one side and civil liberties groups and drivers on the other. The Sniffer * J.D. Candidate 2002, University of San Diego School of Law; B.A. 1999, Boston College. The author wishes to thank her family for their continuing love and support of her educational endeavors, wherever they may take her. Special thanks to the Volume 39 Law Review Board.