Driving comes with a shared responsibility to protect yourself and other motorists by keeping the roads safe and hazard-free. Driving under the influence of alcohol is the leading cause of road accidents in Australia every year. Therefore, Australia now enforces stricter measures to keep the roads safer. In line with that, drink driving is considered a criminal offence with corresponding penalties. For example, you could face legal consequences, like a mandatory alcohol interlock program if you drive with a high alcohol level. Under the interlock program, you need to provide a breath sample to an ignition interlock device (IID). This device works as a car breathalyzer that tests your BAC before driving.
An IID or car breathalyzer is an electronic breath testing device that connects to a car’s ignition system. The IID prevents the vehicle from starting unless you pass the breath test. Therefore, your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) must be at 0.00% before driving. The IIDs may also initiate a random retest while driving to ensure sobriety. You must provide a fresh breath sample; otherwise, it will sound the alarm until you pull over and conduct a new breath test. Drivers under interlock programs nowadays use personal breathalyzers to keep track of their BAC. Self-breath tests can help prevent prolonging their program. Using a BACtrack personal breathalyzer can help with BAC monitoring and tracking.
Using a BACtrack Device Before a Car Breathalyzer
The purpose of the alcohol interlock program is to prevent drivers from repeating the same offence. Additionally, it can help reduce the causes of road accidents. You can only exit the alcohol interlock program once you complete the required duration without additional violations. Using the car breathalyzer is the same as operating any portable breathalyzer. The device examines alcohol from the breath sample and estimates the BAC. If you are under a zero-alcohol policy, you must not have any alcohol in your system before and while driving. The car breathalyzer will prevent the vehicle from starting if it detects alcohol in your breath.
Furthermore, if the car breathalyzer detects alcohol above the limits, the device will lock the vehicle for a certain period. You cannot test again until that time has passed. Therefore, it is best to track your BAC before attempting to drive. BACtrack personal breathalyzers can effectively help you keep track of your BAC. Moreover, BACtrack smartphone users could take advantage of BACtrack’s ZeroLine technology. This technology can help estimate when and how long your BAC would return to 0.00%. This feature is helpful for those under a zero-alcohol tolerance policy. BACtrack devices use fuel cell sensors, the same sensors you could find in a police officer’s breathalyzer.
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