Question: Do DOT blood alcohol tests exist, or is this a misnomer? Another question: What kind of alcohol
tests does the Department of Transportation use?
The Alcohol Testing Protocol of The Department of
Transportation
DOT Alcohol Testing. Actually, the concept of “DOT blood alcohol tests” is a concept arising
from misinformation.
The Department of Transportation’s (DOT) procedures established for mandatory alcohol testing require the
employment of a breath alcohol test such as a standardized breathalyzer, not an alcohol blood test, a blood alcohol
test, or a blood test for alcohol.
The categories of testing that are allowed by the DOT are the following: random, post-accident, and reasonable
suspicion.
Note. If your organization or business has mandatory alcohol testing that is based on DOT procedures, and if
management tells you to get an alcohol test that is outside the parameters of DOT guidelines (such as a blood
alcohol test), contact your local Employees’ Assistance Representative or your union representative right away.
In a word, if your organization adheres to DOT alcohol testing policies and procedures, you should not be
required to take any alcohol test that differs from Department of Transportation protocol.
Conclusion: DOT Blood Alcohol Tests
From the above discussion we can conclude that an alcohol blood test, a blood test for alcohol, or a blood
alcohol test is not part of the DOT alcohol testing protocol of the Department of Transportation.
More precisely, the Department of Transportation’s procedures for mandatory alcohol testing require the use of a
standardized breath alcohol test such as a breathalyzer test rather than the employment of alcohol blood tests or
blood alcohol tests.
