Discussion
I am going to start a topic and I'm pretty certain someone will flame me for it - but I want the advice so here goes.
I want to buy a "Breathalyser". And I want one that's reliable and accurate.
Any thoughts or recommendations.
Over the Christmas period both I and my guests will drink. Then we'll sleep. The next day I certainly don't want either myself or a guest leaving my house over the limit. A device which would warn guests (or me) that, although one feels fine, to make alternative transport arrangements that day would be useful - as well as responsible IMO.
I want to buy a "Breathalyser". And I want one that's reliable and accurate.
Any thoughts or recommendations.
Over the Christmas period both I and my guests will drink. Then we'll sleep. The next day I certainly don't want either myself or a guest leaving my house over the limit. A device which would warn guests (or me) that, although one feels fine, to make alternative transport arrangements that day would be useful - as well as responsible IMO.
No Discretion said:
Spend lots of £££ to get an accurate one....
or the money saved will be lost on your guests future bus fares....
How much is "lots"?
Ones found by Froogle vary between 9.99 (err - I wonder if this simply says "yes - you've been drinking" or "no - no you haven't".
Whilst that's useful given one will err on the side of caution I'd prefer a readout I can have some degree of confidence in.
There's a couple at £50 or so...
They claim to be accurate +/- 0.01
Since the limit is 0.08 one can simply say any reading over 0.05 means definitely no driving - feeling fine or not.
But does one believe the +/- 0.01? If its accuracy was, say, +/- 0.05 it would be a lot less useful...
No Discretion said:
The ones at work cost a few hundred...that's all I know about them..
The "Lion Alcolmeter" by any chance? Seems to be used by a lot of Forces around the UK. Comes complete with a "Calibration Spray" which is of a known level of Alcohol which you can spray through the device and adjust the reading to the known level.
This looks like the very job. Lion's website avoid the whole pricing issue - I suspect they ordinarily only sell in bulk and only to "the trade".
Probably therefore out of my league!
However - a pot of the "Calibration Spray" would give one some confidence in the readings one got from the devices on sale at about £50.
No Discretion said:
I'm talking about the roadside device...not the one at the nick...which is the Lion Intox....(that costs big money £££+++)
Yep. There is a "Lion" one for roadside/workplace use, too. It looks like a serious piece of kit.
Can't find a price on the net, though. "Trade only" I'll bet...
The roadside ones are about 7" by 4"....
on off button top left....4 lights green, green, amber and red...and a LCD display screen..
plus some warning lights at the bottom to show you when breath is being supplied..(as opposed to just holding the tube between your lips like some jokers do..
)
on off button top left....4 lights green, green, amber and red...and a LCD display screen..
plus some warning lights at the bottom to show you when breath is being supplied..(as opposed to just holding the tube between your lips like some jokers do..
)
Dibble said:
It might be worth giving Lion a ring.
They do supply other "firms" than the Police, especially since the new Act came into force, including train drivers, pilots/aircrew, etc.
Be prepared to spend a few hundred £$£$£$ though.
I might at that - even if its just to buy the "Calibration" spray!
I got breathalyzed at the roadside once - I had drunk three pints of Kaliber (alcohol free lager that tastes ike p*ss) and the meter went amber. The officer said that if the light went red, I'd be nicked. It did!!! I was arrested and taken to the police station in a black maria (a distance of about 500 yards) whilst a police officer drove my car.
I had visions of spending the night in the cells and a driving ban, and I have never bricked it so much in my life.
When we got to the station they tested me on the Lion Intoximeter. Apparently, they take the lowest reading, but the first one was clear anyway, and I was free to go.
Now, I don't drink anything remotely alcoholic if I'm going to drive.
I had visions of spending the night in the cells and a driving ban, and I have never bricked it so much in my life.
When we got to the station they tested me on the Lion Intoximeter. Apparently, they take the lowest reading, but the first one was clear anyway, and I was free to go.
Now, I don't drink anything remotely alcoholic if I'm going to drive.
Don said:
It might be worth giving Lion a ring.
They do supply other "firms" than the Police, especially since the new Act came into force, including train drivers, pilots/aircrew, etc.
Be prepared to spend a few hundred £$£$£$ though.
I might at that - even if its just to buy the "Calibration" spray!
Explain
No Discretion said:
Explain
Lion do an aerosol with a known amount of alcohol vapour in it.
I think it's equivalent to 0.33mg/l BAC or some such. When calibrating their breathalyser device you attach the aerosol to its mouthpiece and spray it on in there. You then turn a screw until the unit reads 0.33 precisely.
At which point you know your device is properly calibrated and will give accurate results...
Given one has such an aerosol there's nothing to stop you experimenting with cheaper "personal use" devices and seeing what sort of error they have to 'em.
This is clearly not the be all and end all - but at least you would know if the unit massively under-read for example (when it would be worse than useless) or over-read a bit.
Clearly if the thing reads you as being intoxicated you want to know not to get behind the wheel.
As I said earlier - whilst no-one (certainly not me) would be foolish enough to use it to drink and drive but remain under the limit - the following day it would be good to be warned not to get in the car!
Would be interesting to hear how these things perform if anyone goes for one.
I don't drink and drive, but I do have the odd Friday binge. Saturday AM, I wait until I "feel alright". Sometimes it requires a full english to get me back in shape.
It would be interesting to see how "feel alright" equates to actually being alright.
I don't drink and drive, but I do have the odd Friday binge. Saturday AM, I wait until I "feel alright". Sometimes it requires a full english to get me back in shape.
It would be interesting to see how "feel alright" equates to actually being alright.
Plotloss said:
Fairly What is the problem with letting the public buy same spec items for peace of mind?
The first thing I thought of is that "our" devices are calibrated on a regular basis, and this process is documented and audited.
If the devices were available to the public, because of the task people wanted them to do, most people would, I am sure, calibrate them as well.
But can you imagine Lion, or another firm, getting sued by someone or their NoK after an accident where the driver had used a device and thought they were under the limit, but weren't.
Or the offending driver trying to sue Lion after he or she gets done for drink drive, having used a device to check they were "under"?
Cheap and cheerful versions of these things are sold. All with disclaimers saying if you're caught drink-driving its yer own fault (which it is).
Lion could sell to the public if they wanted to. I just suspect that the public don't want to pay for the level of ruggedness, quality, durability and accuracy required in the law-enforcement market.
Having said this I don't need rugged or durable. I can look after the damn thing. I just want accurate.
In Scandinavia loads of people have these devices. After all - there the slightest trace of booze and its no licence for you, sonny.
Lion could sell to the public if they wanted to. I just suspect that the public don't want to pay for the level of ruggedness, quality, durability and accuracy required in the law-enforcement market.
Having said this I don't need rugged or durable. I can look after the damn thing. I just want accurate.
In Scandinavia loads of people have these devices. After all - there the slightest trace of booze and its no licence for you, sonny.
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