AlcoSense could save your licence, and maybe a life

Recent changes to the drink-driving legislation mean that the possibility of losing one's driving licence for three months is a greater possibility if found to be over the limit, writes Brian Byrne.

Which is one reason why the investment of €120 in a personal breathalyser might be well worth it, especially in the run up to the festive season when there are occasions of celebration which involve alcoholic drink.

But the most important reason to do so is to make sure that you're driving responsibly, especially the morning after drinking. Any accident can be tragically life changing, but one where an avoidable involvement of alcohol impairment is involved is many factors worse.

One in eight drink-driving arrests in Ireland happen between 8am and 2pm, according to figures from the Road Safety Authority.

It's probable that most of those arrested were surprised, thinking a night's sleep had sorted out their systems from the previous evening's imbibing.

According to expert studies, it can take up to 14 hours for the alcohol from four large glasses of wine to clear a person's system. And there's a wide range of variables there, as every person's metabolism is different.

The Alco-Sense personal breathalyser will make sure its owner at least knows accurately whether they are safe to drive or not.

It's an award-winning unit, proven to be as accurate as the breath-testing units used by police services in Ireland and the UK. It can also be set to work within other jurisdictions in Europe, which have slightly differing ways of calculating breath alcohol levels.

Developer Hunter Abbott says a survey of customers after it had been available for a time in the UK showed that more than half of respondents had decided not to drive on at least one occasion because the machine told them they were over the limit.

"I estimated that was up to 10,000 occasions of driving over the limit which the AlcoSense had prevented," he said in Dublin this week.

In addition to the entry level Excel version, there are also Pro and Ultra options, the top priced at €300.

The AlcoSense Excel is available from Halfords in Ireland, or directly from www.alcosense.ie.

It might make a very useful Christmas present for a driver in your life?