How to choose a breathalyzer for pre-trip inspection of drivers

Owners of commercial transport companies are obliged to inspect drivers before each flight. Especially it concerns those organizations that deal with the transportation of dangerous goods or passengers. One of the items of such an event is the detection of alcoholic intoxication. To check the alcohol index (share per mille) in the exhaled air will help a special breathalyzer for pre-trip inspection of drivers.

On the shelves of auto shops you can see many kinds of such devices, but all of them, as a rule, are amateurish, that is, they differ too much in error. While organizations on the line need a more reliable and smart breathalyzer for pre-trip inspection of drivers.

In a professional environment, the equipment of such a plan is divided into two categories:

• The ordinary alkotester is a non-serious design that gives too much error with a small number of samples (for personal needs it will be quite useful to inhale in the morning);
• The altimeter is a competent and reliable tester for professional needs (in the traffic police and PATP circulation).

About the devices of the latter category and will be discussed in our article.

So, let's try to figure out how to choose a breathalyzer for pre-trip inspection, what to pay attention first of all, what kind of instruments of such a plan are there. To understand what kind of apparatus you need, we will analyze it into its constituent parts.

Breathalyzer device

The device itself is simple. Professional breathalyzers for pre-trip inspection are necessarily equipped with a mesh opening for air intake. In this capacity, a mouthpiece or something like a sucking mechanism can act. After that, the air gets inside, its components are analyzed using a sensor.

The sensors, in turn, can be of several types:

• Infrared;
• Electromechanical;
• Semiconductor.

Semiconductor devices are used, as a rule, for own needs and have a low cost. By and large, this is the same amateur apparatus, only slightly more complicated. The sensor in such a device has a crystalline structure, through which pairs pass, where ethanol molecules are absorbed, thereby affecting the electrical conductivity of the substance. That is, the indicator of alcohol in the blood in this case is determined by the change in conductivity in numerical form.

To use a semiconductor breathalyzer for pre-trip inspection of drivers is not the best option, because with such a scheme it takes quite a long time to "recharge" the device (a couple of alcohol evaporate for a long time from the sorbent).

Electromechanical and infrared devices are already purely professional alcohol testers. And the latter give more accurate results. At its core, the infrared breathalyzer for pre-trip inspection of drivers is a spectrograph, that is, it is designed for a specific absorption wave (in our case, ethanol). The only problem with this sensor is the increased sensitivity to the ambient temperature, which means that in the open air, for example, in the hands of a traffic police officer, such a device will produce a large error. The main area of application of the device is medical stations, laboratories and transport companies. The error of the device varies within 0,01 ppm.

Electromechanical breathalyzer for pre-trip inspections, like infrared, has a high accuracy, about +/- 0.02 ppm. Devices with such sensors are absolutely indifferent to environmental conditions, so they are popular among traffic police and traffic police. Nevertheless, many transport enterprises have taken on the electromechanical apparatus, because of their unpretentiousness.

The standards and standard professional alcohol testers are very strict, that's why they are worth a lot of money, unlike amateur "toys".

Instrument requirements:

• The sensor error is not more than 0.01-0.02 ppm;
• Annual (quarterly) calibrations;
• Not more than 300 measurements per day.

Some devices are equipped with additional functionality and some capabilities, such as printing results or SMS alerts. There are such devices, naturally, more expensive, but each manager decides for himself, he needs such "gadgets" or not.

Popular models of alcohol testers

As already mentioned above, professional devices are expensive. In addition, the practical use of the device must be certified by tests and registration certificates, which are issued in the offices of the Ministry of Health. That is, the list of alcohol testers for official use is approved by law and is replenished as new models are introduced to the market.

"Jupiter-K"

This device manufactured in Russia is equipped with a touch screen and can operate from the vehicle's network (12/24 V). The life of the device without calibration is one year. The entire kit is a small suitcase, where the Breathalyzer itself is located, as well as a power adapter, an additional battery and a disk with a manual and drivers for the PC.

The error of the device is around 0.02 ppm, and the number of tests should be no more than 500 per day. The built-in printer allows you to print the result and attach the data to the survey protocol. There is a wireless module "Bluetooth" and GPS (for fixing fences on the map).

The model costs about 75 000 rubles, it is almost impossible to buy it from hands, only at certified points of sale.

AlcoScreen

This Canadian device is much cheaper than the Russian "Jupiter" (about 15 000 rubles), but it has fewer opportunities. The device operates on an electromechanical sensor with AAA batteries. The design is light, but at the same time reliable and with a small measurement error (0.02 ppm).

The operating period at one calibration varies within 5000 measurements. The device will be ideal for a small organization of 20-30 drivers.

Drager Alcotest 6510

This German model is something average between Canadian and Russian devices. A professional device costs about 45,000 rubles and is designed for 300 measurements per day. The kit itself is small in size, and the device with all the accessories easily fits in a small suitcase.

The error, like that of other similar devices, is of the order of 0.02 ppm, and the breathalyzer tolerates any bad weather, whether it be a terrible frost or a hot summer day, thanks to a strong and thoughtful design. All necessary certificates of the Ministry of Health are attached.