Breathalysers

laughingboy

evilsheep wrote: »

I must confess, I've used it after a hefty boozy night, before going to bed just to see what the ol' blood/alcohol level is. Quite an eye-opener it was ... I've also been quite shocked to find that, according to the breathalyzer, I've been 'legal' to drive, but can barely negotiate my way around my own house let alone control a vehicle. But, I tend to feel the effects of a single alcoholic drink ...

As well as the usefulness of one of these things, it would interest me to see the reading straight after a night out...

Weird_Nev

I wouldn't "Trust" any of the cheapo breathalysers. Feeling a bit dodgy = don't drive. It's very possible to be well over the limit after a night out and actually feel stone cold sober. I've done it before - was called into work on short notice after a pretty tame night out, 5-6 pints or something, finishing at 11. Got in for 8 feeling absolutely fine (train and pedal bike before everyone calls me a child murderer), was told I'd be driving and thought "Hmmmmm, I wonder". So I tested myself on a properly calibrated machine and was only JUST under the limit. So I didn't drive that day. It really surprised me.

Anyway, if you know you'll be driving, lay off the beers, stop drinking at leat 8 hours beforehand and get a good nights sleep. If you feel woozy the next morning, then regardless of whether you're techincally over the limit or not then you shouldn't be driving anyway as you're not 100%.

The self test machines are in my opinion a waste of money. You can't trust them, they give you a false sense of security, they're not calibrated, so what's the point? Nothing mroe than a novelty to see how high you can get them to read, which is another problem in itself!

evilsheep

Weird_Nev wrote: »

Anyway, if you know you'll be driving, lay off the beers, stop drinking at leat 8 hours beforehand and get a good nights sleep. If you feel woozy the next morning, then regardless of whether you're techincally over the limit or not then you shouldn't be driving anyway as you're not 100%.

The self test machines are in my opinion a waste of money. You can't trust them, they give you a false sense of security, they're not calibrated, so what's the point? Nothing mroe than a novelty to see how high you can get them to read, which is another problem in itself!

After one wedding I went to, I stopped drinking 12 hours before I knew I'd be driving and I was still over the limit. Thanks to the breathalyzer I didn't drive, even though I felt fine. In my opinion, having owned several, they're most certainly not a waste of time. Whilst the Alcosense one I have isn't of course recommended by the police, it does have many reviews from reasonably reliable sources where it's been tested alongside police breathalyzers.

Finally, my OH has severely cut down his alcohol consumption thanks to checking levels on our breathalyzer. Ours isn't pointless at all. Each to their own.

AnythingButChardonnay

laughingboy wrote: »

Thanks, one of the few sensible replies.

I don't intend to drive over the limit, I just would like an indication just to make a decision and to satisfy my curiosity!

Quite right.

I think a lot of the people on this forum would lead much happier lives if they just assumed other posters were decent, law-abiding people.

Sadly many can't seem to do that.

I can't offer any advice on breathalysers. Unless you're willing to spend £1k+ on the calibre the police use for submissions to court, I wouldn't take any risks at all personally. The reviews of alcosense on Amazon don't fill me with confidence.

Weird_Nev

evilsheep wrote: »

After one wedding I went to, I stopped drinking 12 hours before I knew I'd be driving and I was still over the limit. Thanks to the breathalyzer I didn't drive, even though I felt fine. In my opinion, having owned several, they're most certainly not a waste of time. Whilst the Alcosense one I have isn't of course recommended by the police, it does have many reviews from reasonably reliable sources where it's been tested alongside police breathalyzers.

Finally, my OH has severely cut down his alcohol consumption thanks to checking levels on our breathalyzer. Ours isn't pointless at all. Each to their own.

I understand what you're saying. My concern isn't so much false positives, but more the risk of a false negative: You test yourself, it says fine, so you drive, and then you get pulled over and found to be over the limit. It could find some people in situations they wouldn't normally put themselves in is all, because they've trusted something that is'nt tested or calibrated.

As ever, the only real advice is "don't drink if you're going to drive" but of course life isn't that simple. If you find a breath tester beneficial then fine, but I tend to stick to the designated driver plan, or the don't drink plan, because I *KNOW* that I'm not goingt o lose my licence (and job) that way.

Nilrem

I'll echo the "waste of money" calls about the cheap home breathalisers.

IIRC most of the sensors even in the expensive ones require either regular calibration, or straight out replacement every X uses or Y months, so I can't see how any novelty unit is going to be able to give any sort of even partially reliable reading.
Basically don't drink more than a couple of pints at most if you're going to be driving the next day, and even if you only drink a couple of pints leave a good 8-12 hours (IIRC people have been done for drink driving the better part of 18-24 hours after their last drink after a heavy session).

Personally I'm of the "don't drink at all" opinion if you're going to be driving within the next day (and to be honest I don't drink at all except on extremely rare occasions).

mcjordi

im sorry to say but im with the dont drink at all if you want to drive.. BUT at least you wanna check what your level is before getting behind the wheel..
i wont drive at all even if ive only had 1 bottle of lager

mikey72

mcjordi wrote: »

im sorry to say but im with the dont drink at all if you want to drive.. BUT at least you wanna check what your level is before getting behind the wheel..
i wont drive at all even if ive only had 1 bottle of lager

What, not even the morning after, like in this case.
Following evening?
48 hours later?

Johnny_Barnes10

Im currently banned having been pulled the day after the night before. It takes an hour for 1 unit of alcohol to leave the system. Didn't think I was over. When I get my licence back I'll not be drinking heavily when due to drive in the morning. Couple beers max!

mcjordi

mikey72 wrote: »

What, not even the morning after, like in this case.
Following evening?
48 hours later?

no. i meant like on a night out/night at mates or whatever.. i would think that 1 bottle worth of alcohol would be gone by the morning..
ANY alcohol impares driving..