What's the news?
New drink-driving legislation came into force last week, which says that first-time drink-driving offenders will be automatically banned from driving for three months if caught with between 50 - 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood (mg/100mL BAC) - equivalent to 0.22 - 0.35 milligrams of alcohol per litre of breath (mg/L BrAC). Previously, drivers caught at these levels received three penalty points and a fine - but no driving ban.
That makes it more important than ever to be able to check your own alcohol level, especially 'the morning after' when many of us end up driving with our blood alcohol levels still too high for safety, and legality.
According to Alcosense, the company that makes the new Excel personal electronic breathalyser, alcohol is a factor in 38 per cent of fatal accidents in Ireland, and worse still, statistics show that even with one fifth of the legal limit in your system, you're 37 per cent more likely to be involved in an accident.
'Morning after' checks are becoming more prevalent, and according to the Road Safety Authority, one eighth of drink-driving arrests are made between the hours of 8am and 2pm. According to Alcosense: "If you drink four pints of medium-strong beer or four large glasses of wine, it could take as long as 14 hours for the alcohol to clear your system. If you drink between 9pm and 11pm, you may not be sober until 11am the following morning."
The Alcosense Excel breathalyser uses the same basic fuel cell sensor as those found in breathalysers used by European police forces, and only gives a reading when 1.2-litres of air have been breathed into it - ensuring that you're taking air from the bottom of your lungs (that's why the Gardai ask you to breath into the breathalyser for several seconds, not just a quick puff). It also compensates for the ambient temperature, so the reading is always as accurate as possible.
AlcoSense Managing Director, Hunter Abbott, said: "Even one alcoholic drink can slow your reaction time, inhibit judgement, reduce concentration and affect motor skills such as eye, foot and hand co-ordination - increasing the likelihood of an accident. Following the law change in Ireland last week, using a personal breathalyser could save your licence and more importantly, could also save a life. The AlcoSense Excel is priced €119.99. The range also includes the AlcoSense Lite, Elite, Pro and Ultra, and is available in Ireland from Halfords or the company's website www.alcosense.ie."
In 2017, an average of 180 drivers were arrested each week in Ireland on suspicion of driving under the influence, while enforcement statistics for the first nine months of 2018 show more than 6,500 Irish motorists were arrested due to suspected intoxication. Maybe make sure you're not one of them, eh?