Alcohol Testing – How To Stay Within Your Legal Limit
Thursday, September 30th, 2010The dire consequences of driving while intoxicated and DUI awareness have lead to a recent spike in breathalyzer purchases.
How A Breathalyzer Works & The Legal Limit
When you blow into a breathalyzer your breath passes over a sensor that interprets the level of alcohol and a formula is applied to extrapolate the blood alcohol content (BAC).
The “Legal Limit” in all 50 states is .08 BAC. At .08 BAC or above you are considered legally intoxicated. But be careful. Many people become impaired at .04 BAC you can be charged with “driving while impaired” at .04. Although a lesser offense, DWI can still be costly & cause some major inconvenience.
Sensor Types
The sensor is the component inside a breathalyzer that reads and interprets your BAC. For personal use there are 2 types to consider, fuel-cell sensors and the semi-conductor type. When the breathalyzer is used correctly each of these sensor types will yield accurate results up to approximately 1.that’s five times the legal limit.
At higher BAC levels (well in excess of the legal limit) fuel cell sensors provide more accurate measurement. Fuel cell breathalyzers are more expensive to make and typically cost $450 – $1,500.
Semi-conductor sensors are less expensive to manufacture. Good quality units with semi-conductor sensors cost between $175 and $250.
The AlcoMate Premium AL7000 Breathalyzer uses the replaceable semi conductor sensor.
Why Recalibration Is Important
It is important that a breathalyzer is re-calibrated when needed (approximately every 200 to 300 blows) by the manufacturer. There are two units on the market that incorporate a user changable sensor module to eliminate the need to return a breathalyzer to the manufacturer for re-calibration. They are the AlcoMate Breathalyzer and the AlcoMate Prestige unit.
Law Enforcement agencies & employers who must have a reliable and consistent reading over a full range of possible measurements should consider fuel cell units which are priced from $450.00 to $1,500.00.
Another option is a high end semi-conductor breathalyzer like the AlcoMate Premium. Because the AlcoMate Premium AL7000 uses a sensor module that can be easily changed by the user it retains its accuracy indefinately as long as the sensor module is replaced when needed.