Roadside breathalysers – All Change.   

01 August 2018

The Government has recently announced measures to improve road safety in the UK and hopefully to incentivise companies to bring a new mobile breathalyser to the market. This roadside breathalyser will take a breath sample to calculate the amount of ethanol in the exhaled breath of the driver. This will enable on-the-spot proof of drink driving and ensure those guilty face a swifter justice. The advantage of this form of breathalysing test is that there is no time for a driver who is marginally over the limit to “sober up” on the way to the second test at the station.

Another  great advantage of this new method of testing is that police time and resources usually spent taking individuals to the station will automatically be free. The Government is committing £350,000 for a competition run by PACTS (Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety) for companies to submit proposed technologies which will rapidly calculate the amount of ethanol in exhaled breath for use at the roadside. This device is expected to be used by the police by Summer 2020.

The Government also aims to improve road safety by the end of the year by deploying investigation teams that focus on analysing the cause of road collisions. Alongside police forces, the RAC Foundation will lead this trial into the understanding of the foundations behind accidents on the roads. This new approach is supported by £480,000 of Government funding.

If you would like further information, please contact a member of our Regulatory team on 01254 828300.