Why doesn't every pub have a breathalyzer?

Liam Byrne

cooltown wrote: »

A group of 4 friends are out for a drink. Paul, Eric, Tony and Eoin. Paul is the designated driver. In the pub he know's there a breathalyzer o he decided just to have one drink! Paul and his friends are about to leave. Paul blow's into the breathalyzer and blow's just under the limit.
THe four lads get into the car to drive home. On the way home Paul loses control of the car killing two of his friends leaving one injured in a wheelchair for life.

What speed was Paul doing to cause the crash ?

He was under the legal driving limit, so that was legal.
He might even have been under the speed limit, so that was legal.
Maybe he was texting someone for a booty call. That's not legal.
Maybe he had the stereo up in his "pimped out" ride and didn't hear the other car's horn ?
Maybe he looked over his shoulder when one of the lads slagged him about eyeing up the barmaid ?
Maybe he hit a friggin' pothole ?

Maybe it was a just a bloody accident ? Horrible, but it happens.

Maybe, just maybe, that accident would have happened EVEN IF Paul hadn't even had one.

Until such time as people take responsibility for their own actions, we'll never solve this.

I've gone out and had 2 shandies, and driven.
If I'm wide awake, in the pub for a while, and have eaten, I might even have 3.
If I'm tired, or haven't eaten, I'll have none; it doesn't bother me.

The legal limit is there, and you abide by it.

But - in addition - you use your own cop-on whether a lower level is required.

Senna

I looked into this a number of years ago, i was going to start a business installing them in pubs, charging €1 a go and giving a cut to the pub, i had the machines priced and a number of pubs interested. But after lengthy legal discussion, by providing such a service, the responsibly fell on me and the landlord should anyone get a pass reading, then drive and kill someone. No amount of disclaimers or signs would wave this potential responsibility.

Any pub that has them is really asking for trouble.

KyussBishop

Saw this on Slashdot:
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2010/08/drunk_drivers_in_new_york_now.html

In short: Anyone convicted of drunk driving in New York, has to have a breathalyzer installed into their car ignition, so they can't start it while drunk.
Not infallible, but a nice idea

DOC09UNAM

Alice Cuddly Archery wrote: »

You can have a few pints over the course of the night and if you are not drinking too fast you would be under the limit come the end of the night, this is one situation where it would be helpful.

Honestly the people saying that people are going out crashing and killing people after 1 or 2 drinks are deluded imo. Its people who are completely locked driving that are the problem.

Yeah i agree with you here, I mean sober people have never knocked anyone down, no harm in one or two pints!

Mimikyu

This post has been deleted.

rubadub

Captain Morgan wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Yep, thats what I was saying, and it doesn't matter if it was even the truth. If I downed 2 pints and drove right away they would not have taken effect, if I was breathalyzed by a garda with an official newly calibrated unit and passed, and then breathalysed again 30mins later by another and failed-I would have no excuse/defence.

Breathalysers are already in some pubs, and they have disclaimers.

Ash.J.Williams

Doc wrote: »

What would you think if every licensed premises was required to provide a breathalyzer for patrons to check if they where still legally permitted to drive?

I had a look at the cost of breathalyzers to check how much they cost and there only around 70 euros! Surely every pub could afford to spend this to incentives people not to drink and drive.

Not only that but if someone was obviously too drunk to be served anymore but still demanding drink the staff could ask him to blow into the breathalyzer to prove that he wasn’t too drunk.

I really don’t understand why pubs don’t have them. I’m sure if people actually knew that they were over the limit a lot less would drive home drunk.

70 euros and one nozzle per user, infairness if you think you need a breathalizer you shouldn't be near a car.

Sitec

Ash.J.Williams wrote: »

70 euros and one nozzle per user, infairness if you think you need a breathalizer you shouldn't be near a car.

The brethalizers at that price are unaccurate. For a pub to say its ok for the person to drive and risk the pub reputation and an expensive lawsuit they would need ones as good as the Gardai have.

mconigol

I acknowledge that this idea has flaws but it definitely has a lot of merit. Flaws can be worked on and ironed out. It's would be far better for people leaving a pub/licenced premises to be able to have some indicator of where their alcohol level lies and have the opportunity to make a more informed decision if they so wished.(e.g someone who had two drinks at 9pm and didn't leave until 12:30). I imagine it would be relatively straghtforward to develop a piece of software to extrapolate what someones alcohol levels would be in another 30/60/90 minutes etc...based on their current level, no. of drinks, time started etc....

Why, in the bigger towns/cities at least, could the gardai not make someone available in a public location to provide breathalyser tests to those that wanted on a friday or saturday night? Would this not make more sense than random checkpoints stopping someone who's barely over the limit 2 miles out the road and then taking their licence away? I know some people will argue that this it is up the the driver to make sure they are under the limit but surely instead of the passive monitoring we currently have a more proactive approach would be better?

One thing that springs to mind was leaving the campsite the morning after the oxegen a few years ago. I was the driver that weekend and was trying to stay on the campsite as long as I could to make absoutely certain I was ok to drive. Anyway we we're basically booted out of the campsite late morning so I wasn't really left with any other alternative but to leave. Even though I knew that I was probably ok I still wasn't 100% certain, being tired etc.... makes it more difficult to tell. Anyway literally about half a mile down the road from the campsite the gardai were pulling in practically every car for breathalyser tests, it turned out that I was one of the few to be waved on. It struck me that morning how ridiculuous that situation was though. I have no idea if anybody was done for being over the limit that day but surely those same gardai stationed in the carpark giving breathalyser tests to anyone who wanted would have been more far more constructive? No?

gerbo88

Sorry to disappoint but i've studied law for the past 6 years and know for a fact that no amount of disclaimers big or small will protect you and the landlord from getting in trouble if a drunk driver passes the breathalyzer.

Guarda breathalyzers cost a lot and are callibrated every few days. so unless you were able to keep it as accurate as the guards, which would be costly and time consuming, I really don't think it's a great idea.

A friend asked me about this a year or two ago, so i did a small bit of research into it for him,

It confirmed that you could in fact still be brought to court if;
a. someone passed the pubs breathalyzer and failed the guards, ie losing their license
b. or even worse if someone passed and then decided to drive,and injured or killed someone as a result.

It could result in a HUGE law suit!!
Potentially a very costly idea

Hope this helps

30H!3

GerHankey wrote: »

The reason the blood alcohol level is set above zero is to give a margin of error/make allowances for breathalyzers picking up alcohol that may be in your breath rather than your bloodstream (things like mouthwash, kissing someone who has had a drink, and sometimes even belching can make this happen) - not so you can have just the one and then drive home. Thats why all the ads say "Never Ever Drink and Drive".

Wrong wrong wrong wrong WRONG!!

The reason the BAC level is set above zero is not for giving a margin of error/making allowances/etc, if that was the case it would be at 10mg or thereabouts instead of 80mg (here and UK) and 50mg in most of Europe. It's because the people who make the laws aren't stupid enough to believe that having 1 or 2 pints is going to turn you into a crazy maniac road killer.

The Donegal coroner, Dr. John Madden actually came out and said the bodies of drivers involved in fatal road accidents where drink was consumed, were on average 3 times over the CURRENT limit (80mg).

"It has been shown that where road deaths are linked to drink driving, the blood alcohol level is generally in excess of 1.5, not 0.8"

He pointed to Donegal coroner John Madden who recently claimed it was rare for those involved in road accidents to have blood alcohol levels of between 0.5pc and 0.8pc.

Inquests
Dr Madden said during his 17 years as coroner the vast majority of inquests into fatal traffic crashes, where alcohol was implicated, involved blood alcohol levels far in excess of the legal limit of 80mg/100ml.

80mg is one of the highest BAC limits in the world, (albeit shared with some other countries) and you can consume a fair amount of alcohol and still be under. I've had 4 pints and been breathalyzed roughly 30 mins after the last pint and passed.

No offence, but a doctor who deals with road crash victims and whose job is to find out what caused their death, probably knows a little more about the technicalities than yourself and some of the high horse brigade on here.

The people having 1 or 2 pints are definitely not the majority who are involved in fatal accidents. Fact.

His suggestion was to enforce the current limit properly, rather than lowering it. But maybe we should just ignore logic and reason - hysteria sells!

civis_liberalis

me-skywalker wrote: »

Alphabet backwards always worked back in the day.

I can't even do that sober...

Oranage2

Not a great idea.


1) The people that do get drunk and drive won't care about it.
2) It will encourage people to have one or 2 and drive.



A way to stop drink driving would be if the bar had to report suspect drink drivers but this idea is probably worst then the breathalyzer and certainy less likely to happen


on a side note: Even the Garda brethalyzers the ones on the road side aren't 100% acurate because if you fail that they bring you back to the station and you have to blow into a big machine breathalyser.

OutlawPete

If you walk up to any Guard and ask them to Breathalyze you to see of you safe to drive, they will.

I seen one guy do it in Temple Bar one night and the cops seemed more than happy to do it.

Beats taking a chance.

DOC09UNAM

A breathalyser hooked up to the car so it won't start unless you pass would be a far better option, and should become standard in all new cars.

30H!3

DOC09UNAM wrote: »

A breathalyser hooked up to the car so it won't start unless you pass would be a far better option, and should become standard in all new cars.

What a well-thought out, practical and brilliant idea! Having to blow into my car's internal breathalyzer for 10 seconds or so every time I want to drive somewhere! There is NO way I could just get my sober friend to blow into it for me! Unless you also attach a retina scanner to ensure my identity!

You know another practical and brilliant idea, there are no roads in Ireland above 120km/h, so all cars in Ireland should be ECU limited to that speed! During NCT or something!

Yay! Over-reactionary practical well thought ideas for everyone!

DOC09UNAM

30H!3 wrote: »

What a well-thought out, practical and brilliant idea! Having to blow into my car's internal breathalyzer for 10 seconds or so every time I want to drive somewhere! There is NO way I could just get my sober friend to blow into it for me! Unless you also attach a retina scanner to ensure my identity!

You know another practical and brilliant idea, there are no roads in Ireland above 120km/h, so all cars in Ireland should be ECU limited to that speed! During NCT or something!

Yay! Over-reactionary practical well thought ideas for everyone!

If your friend is sober, why isn't he driving, or, why would he let you drive.

Doc

30H!3 wrote: »

What a well-thought out, practical and brilliant idea! Having to blow into my car's internal breathalyzer for 10 seconds or so every time I want to drive somewhere! There is NO way I could just get my sober friend to blow into it for me! Unless you also attach a retina scanner to ensure my identity!

You know another practical and brilliant idea, there are no roads in Ireland above 120km/h, so all cars in Ireland should be ECU limited to that speed! During NCT or something!

Yay! Over-reactionary practical well thought ideas for everyone!

So why wouldnt you just let your sober friend drive then?

Jagle

he cant/ no license or insurance. whats to stop asking a stranger to blow into it, lads volvo tried this a few years ago but it didnt work

rubadub

gerbo88 wrote: »

i've studied law for the past 6 years

A friend asked me about this a year or two ago, so i did a small bit of research into it for him,

It confirmed that you could in fact still be brought to court if;
a. someone passed the pubs breathalyzer and failed the guards, ie losing their license
b. or even worse if someone passed and then decided to drive,and injured or killed someone as a result.

I call bullshit on this, you studied law for 6 years and had to actually do research to confirm this!! a 10 year old would tell you that. Also the way you list the a & b seems all emotive and not something I would expect from somebody who did study law. You really had to research to find out if they killed somebody they could "in fact be brought to court" -laughable stuff.

OutlawPete wrote: »

If you walk up to any Guard and ask them to Breathalyze you to see of you safe to drive, they will.

I seen one guy do it in Temple Bar one night and the cops seemed more than happy to do it.

Beats taking a chance.

And you would still have no comeback, like I said before.

rubadub wrote: »

If I downed 2 pints and drove right away they would not have taken effect, if I was breathalyzed by a garda with an official newly calibrated unit and passed, and then breathalysed again 30mins later by another and failed-I would have no excuse/defence.

Breathalysers are already in some pubs, and they have disclaimers.