An Auckland man was surprised when he failed a roadside breathalyser test, despite being sober.
Ben Shivas, 26, was driving home from work when he was stopped at a police checkpoint in Herne Bay, Auckland, Stuff reported.
He failed a roadside breathalyser test despite not having drunk any alcohol that evening.
"It was a bit of a shock, but I knew it had to be an error,' he told Stuff. "The officer taking the test questioned me about the result, and when I told her I hadn’t had any alcohol she asked if I’d used hand sanitiser recently."
Stuff reported Shivaas was stopped at a police checkpoint in Herne Bay on his drive home on Thursday evening.
He had used hand sanitiser around 15 minutes before the breath test.
A police spokesperson told Newshub the purpose of handheld breath-testing devices is to pick up any alcohol-based products.
They said alcohol in the atmosphere of a vehicle may be picked up the device.
The spokesperson said in New Zealand the breath testing process has three steps:
A passive breath test is first undertaken where the driver is asked to speak in the direction of the handheld breath testing device.
The second step is a breath screening test for drivers with alcohol detected on their breath, where the driver blows into a plastic tube connected to a breath testing device.
Depending on the result the driver may be required to undergo a third evidential breath test to further determine the level of intoxication.
