Crackdown

By Colin Windell

In an effort to crack down on drinking and driving the South African Police Services (SAPS) has decided to standardise breath testing equipment and has selected the Alcoblow Rapid Test from Alco-Safe.

The Alcoblow Rapid Test is a fast, effective means of testing for whether or not an individual is over the legal drinking limit.

The compact, handheld instrument was selected for its speed and ease of use. Simply requiring the individual being tested, to blow into the inverted cone area on device.  Results are delivered in under a second and without need for mouthpieces, disposable or otherwise.

According to Rhys Evans, Director at Alco-Safe, the SAPS had a requirement for a fast, user friendly device, that offers a simple way of identifying whether or not a person is over the legal drinking limit – professional or private.

Says Evans: “Typically, the device indicates only whether or not a person is over private vehicle driver drinking limits, however, the SAPS will be testing both private vehicle drivers and professional vehicle drivers, and wanted a device that could differentiate between the two.

“To accommodate them, we modified the device to indicate a pass or fail through coloured light indicators. A negative test, indicating acceptable sobriety, will give a green light, a person who tests over the professional drinking limit will produce an orange light on the device, while a red light will indicate that a person is over all legal alcohol limits.”

The speed and simplicity of the Alcoblow Rapid Test will mean officers can move quickly through the testing process, spending less time on the actual test and more on attending to anyone who is over the legal limit.

This means people will be detained for shorter periods of time, minimising any inconvenience to them, while maximising police efficiency.”

Evans adds those individuals who test positive for being over the legal drunk driving limit will still require a secondary test, such as a blood test, to confirm exact blood alcohol levels, a procedure necessary for prosecution.

“We are proud to be associated with the SAPS and are confident that the Alcoblow Rapid Test will not only make their jobs easier, but will go a long way towards combatting the ever-present problem of drunken driving in South Africa,” concludes Evans.