SAPS to use ALCO-Safe’s Alcoblow Rapid Test

The South African Police Service (SAPS) will introduce the Alcoblow Rapid Test breathalyser instruments, countrywide, in its latest bid to combat alcohol abuse and driving under the influence.

The Alcoblow Rapid Test is a fast, effective means of testing whether an individual is over the legal drinking limit. There is no need for mouthpieces, disposable or otherwise, and the device is efficient and cost effective.

The compact, handheld instrument was selected for its speed and ease of use, simply requiring  the driver to blow onto the inverted cone area on the device. The results will be delivered in under a second.

Rhys Evans, director at ALCO-Safe, says that the SAPS required a fast, user-friendly device offering a simple way of identifying whether a person is over the legal drinking limit – and to distinguish between professional vehicle driver alcohol limits and private vehicle driver alcohol limits (professional vehicle driver alcohol limits being lower than those of private drivers).

“The speed and simplicity of the Alcoblow Rapid Test will mean that officers can move quickly through the testing process, spending less time on the actual test and more on attending to anyone who is over the legal limit,” he says.

Evans adds: “Typically, the device only indicates whether or not a person is over private vehicle driver drinking limits; however, the SAPS will be testing both private vehicle drivers and professional vehicle drivers, and wanted a device that could differentiate between the two.

“To accommodate them, we modified the device to indicate a pass or fail through coloured light indicators. A negative test, indicating acceptable sobriety, will give a green light; a person who tests over the professional drinking limit will produce an orange light on the device; while a red light will indicate that a person is over all legal alcohol limits.

“Individuals who test positive for being over the legal drunk driving limit will still require a secondary test, such as a blood test, to confirm exact blood alcohol levels, a procedure necessary for prosecution,” Evans concludes.

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