New Breath Test Devices Will Likely Convict More Motorists

New testing devices look likely to bring about some swift changes to drink drive breath samples. Drink drivers are to face swifter processing thanks to new roadside breathalyser technology that will allow police to gather on-the-spot proof.

Mobile evidential breath tests will allow police to gather early evidence of drink driving, by taking a breath sample from suspect drivers at the roadside. The instant test means they will not need to be taken back to a police station to obtain evidence as is currently the case.

It will mean those marginally over the drink drive limit will not have extra time to ‘sober up’ and stand a chance of passing a later test at the station.

Until now the roadside test has been used simply to determine whether a driver is over the limit or not. It’s the samples at the police station which determine whether someone is charged or not and there can be quite a delay in getting them taken.

A competition is being run by Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety in the summer, and will invite companies to submit proposed technologies which will rapidly calculate the amount of ethanol in exhaled breath for use at the roadside.

It is expected police forces throughout the UK will be able to use the device by summer 2020.