Coin-in-the-Slot Breathalyzers - Do They Work?

 

You might have seen them in restaurants and bars - coin-in-the-slot breathalyzer machines that purport to tell you whether you've had too much alcohol to be able to get behind the wheel and drive home. But do they really work, or are they just novelties?

You can read here about the P321000 Fuel Cell Coin Operated Breathalyzer, based on fuel-cell-sensor technology.

The machine is actually being promoted as a business opportunity for individuals who might wish to buy one (or several) to place in bars and other drinking establishments. Patrons will then pay - usually one dollar a time - to use it.

The device's manufacturers make no claim to its accuracy. At a FAQ web page they say:

What types of people use our machines?

Everyone, young and old. With the growing Worldwide concern over drunk driving more and more people are wanting to be "alcohol aware." Most of the repeat users will be young people at college bars and sports bars. Many businessmen are also using these machines again and again. The drunk driving issues insure repeat use of our machine for years of constant income.

...What about liability?

Essentially there is "no liability" regarding the breath alcohol analyzer. The reasons have been ascertained after thousands of dollars of painstaking research. The following conditions are necessary for a legal breath sample to be taken:

- The test must be in a controlled environment, no alcohol or smoke present.
- The test must be administered by a certified State/Provinical technician.
- The test results must be in a printed form for admission into court.
- The test must be on a State/Provincial approved and certified machine.
- There is a legal disclaimer printed on the front of each machine.

WHSV television news in Harrisonburg, Virginia, has reported on a new machine:

"Most people don't understand how many drinks it takes to get them to be a certain BAC level whether they're intoxicated or impaired...and they need that tool and they want that tool to know," says Jim Czachorowski, the founder of BACMaster.

Harrisonburg will be the first city that will have these new machines. They will be in local bars and restaurants within the next month.

You can read more about the BACMaster at the company's own website, which says that it is 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".

But is it completely reliable? No-one's saying.

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.

March 23rd 2007 Update: Please also see BACmaster Breathalyzer - Teaching Us When It Isn't Safe To Drive with a very informative email from Jim Czachorowski, detailing the background to the BACmaster breathalyzer.

February 27th, 2007