Breathalyzer
This is a device that can save people's lives - Keith Nothacker
image by: David Isberg
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Breathalyzers of the Future Today
Even though it was invented in 1953, the breathalyzer still seems like something out of science fiction. Think about it: A stranger can appear at any point during an evening, have you blow into an electronic wand, and then can tell you exactly how much you've had to drink.
From analyzers that fit on a keychain, to "stylish" inserts powered by smartphones, to those that detect other drugs, the concept has seen more than a few changes.
Resources
Before the Breathalyzer There Was the Drunkometer
The idea of a mechanism to measure the alcohol a person has consumed dates back quite far. A 1927 issue of Popular Science speaks of a device to ‘test a Tippler’s breath’, suggesting that housewives use W.D McNally’s new invention to see if their ‘errant’ husbands had been out drinking.
These Machines Can Put You in Jail. Don’t Trust Them.
Alcohol breath tests, a linchpin of the criminal justice system, are often unreliable, a Times investigation found.
Can You Trust Smartphone Breathalyzers?
Alcohoot, a new breathalyzer that connects to the iPhone, is the latest device to help people measure their blood alcohol content. Should you count on personal breathalyzers to decide whether it's safe for you to drive?
BACtrack Shines in New York Times Breathalyzer Showdown
The New York Times has published an article on the range of smartphone breathalyzers now on the market, pitting BACtrack Mobile and two other units against a police officer's $890 unit.
Blown Away: Why Police Rely On Faulty Breathalyzers
Machines to test blood alcohol content have been around for decades, including some small enough to fit on the ignition of your car. But a new investigation from The New York Times shows that the testing equipment used in many law enforcement agencies is far from accurate.
Built-In Car Breathalyzers Have Been a Good Idea for Years. They’re Still Not Ready.
When asked about ways to trick the system, like a drunk driver asking a sober friend to sit in their car and turn it on before switching out, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration simply said that DADSS is doing research into tampering and that the system will be able to differentiate between passengers and the driver.
Canadian Police Can Now Pull You Over And Breathalyze You Without Cause
Canada's new impaired driving laws are among the toughest in the world, according to the federal government.
France introduces in-car breathalyser that can disable motor
Motorists convicted of drink driving will be allowed to use vehicle if they install machine.
How Long Does Alcohol Stay in Your System for a Breathalyzer?
While breathalyzers are usually an effective means of determining someone’s level of intoxication, they are not always an exact science.
Sobriety tags: how alcohol monitoring could become the new norm
Inspired by South Dakota’s “promising” approach to tackling alcohol-related crime, Malthouse embarked on a campaign to introduce a 24/7 sobriety pilot in London in 2010.
Why Not Just Breathalyze Yourself?
Personal breathalyzers let people check their blood alcohol content before driving—but they're not very popular.
Breathalyzers of the Future Today
Even though it was invented in 1953, the breathalyzer still seems like something out of science fiction. Think about it: A stranger can appear at any point during an evening, have you blow into an electronic wand, and then can tell you exactly how much you've had to drink.
5 Reasons to Question Alcohol Breath Tests
Technology at the heart of drunken-driving cases across the country has been successfully challenged, with tens of thousands of tests thrown out.
BACtrack
BACtrack makes it easy to measure a person's blood alcohol content - quickly, simply and with a high level of accuracy.
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