BACmaster Breathalyzer - Teaching Us When It Isn't Safe To Drive

 

I wrote an article - Coin-in-the-Slot Breathalyzers - Do They Work? - which included some information on the BACmaster breathalyzer, a new device being developed by Jim Czachorowski and BAC Solutions. I wrote that it is claimed to be an "evidential quality instrument" based on infrared absorption technology which is "accepted by every state in the US and is by far the leading evidential technology used in law enforcement today".

Then I added the possibly-snide comment, "But is it completely reliable? No-one's saying."

And I concluded:

"There seems little doubt that coin-in-the-slot breathalyzers are becoming increasingly reliable. But can they guarantee that you are safe to drive? Probably not.

"The best advice surely remains the familiar adage: don't drink and drive."

This prompted an email from Jim Czachorowski, and he has kindly allowed me to place it on my website, as follows:
 
I just wanted to set the record straight on a couple of things.

First, I’ll give you a little background of myself, the instrument and how it ended being developed.

I’ve been working on this instrument for four years now. I developed the concept after being arrested myself for a DUI. I am the President of a fairly large tile contracting company in the Detroit area and was obviously embarrassed and humiliated by the situation. I have always considered myself a professional, responsible adult.

However, I made an irresponsible decision to drive while being impaired/intoxicated. I realized that anyone who drinks is potentially putting themselves in the same situation. In fact most people who drink, have been a drunk driver at least once in their life. They just may have never been caught.

After doing research on how alcohol affects people as they drink, I realized that no one could determine on their own if they were too impaired to drive. I came across coin-operated breathalyzers. I immediately thought, “what a great idea, if there was one at the bar, I may have made a different decision on whether to drive”.

After investigating the different options, I bought 10 units of what I thought was the best product. I immediately found out that they were just novelties, unreliable and a waste of time and money. I was determined that this was a great idea, so I decided to develop an instrument that would be accurate, reliable and easy to use for people who have been drinking. I commissioned the manufacturer of the evidential breath testing instrument used in the entire State of Michigan, National Patent Analytical Systems. 

This instrument is not to be confused with coin-operated novelties. Technology in coin-operated novelties is either Fuel Cell or even worse; Semi-Conductor. Fuel Cell technology works by burning up the alcohol, which generates an electrical current that is measured and quantified with a numeric result. This technology is dubious at best. They do not have slope detectors, which are designed to guard against mouth alcohol. Mouth alcohol causes an artificially high reading making them useless. Fuel cells can also be fooled by alcohol in the ambient air and are subject to deterioration by smoke.

Our BACmaster is a highly sophisticated instrument. The technology is based on infra-red absorption. Infra-red measures the breath sample as it passes through the chamber and incorporates slope detectors to detect mouth alcohol. It is impervious to the smoke and alcohol in the ambient air present at most bars. The instrument also self-calibrates prior to each test for maximum accuracy. The instrument's results are as reliable as can be.

Secondly, this is not a vending machine or a game. The test is free for anyone to use at their own discretion and the results are for their own personal use.

Finally, the familiar adage of 'don't drink and drive' is unrealistic. Reality is that people will drink when out and most likely drive home. We all know this. Our goal is to give consumers this tool so that they can educate themselves and individually assess their impairment level by understanding how alcohol affects them personally as they drink. This education is vital to creating the social change of behavior that is needed at the community level to make a difference in alcohol responsibility. The right information coupled with the known consequences of drunk driving can be a strong deterrent.

March 23rd, 2007