Take responsibility for how much you drink, with this pair of devices
Other than being stopped by the police and taking a roadside test, we generally have no way of telling how much alcohol is left in our system. However, thanks to a couple of products from BACtrack, we now can.
There’s a fine line between being responsible when drinking and using the technology to, in some ways, cheat the system. Personally speaking, we think that if you’re driving, then you shouldn’t have anything to drink whatsoever, but some would argue a half-pint is okay. What we have here, though, is a device that can take a person just below the legal limit – if they’re irresponsible enough. Then if and when they're stopped, they’re under the roadside limit, despite their reflexes and judgement being impaired through alcohol.
BACtrack, though, isn’t trying to promote any form of drink driving; it’s actually trying to do the opposite. But the potential for abuse of the system is still there. The first of these two products, the BACtrack Mobile Breathalyser, has a police-grade sensor built in that can detect the slightest change in your BAC (blood alcohol content).
There’s a miniature internal solenoid breath pump within the 44 x 69 x 16mm plastic body, which weighs just 47g and is perfectly suited for carrying in a pocket or bag, which can ensure the most accurate and efficient means of capturing the person’s breath for analysis.
Once your breath test is complete, the smart stuff then comes into play. By connecting the Mobile Breathalyser to your phone via Bluetooth, you’re able to view your BAC then and there, or track it over the time that you’re drinking.
Also, by personalising the BACtrack app with your age, weight, what you’ve drunk and its alcohol volume and how much, plus anything you’ve eaten and the amount of time between drinks, the app can give a good calculation of what your current situation is. Furthermore, it can also calculate, based over time too, when your system is free from alcohol.
It’s an easy device to set up and use, with washable mouthpieces and a privacy function to limit the data the app picks up. Connection to a Bluetooth device is simple enough, and once paired it’s a fairly quick and painless check of your BAC.
As far as we can tell, the results appeared accurate enough – without having a police officer handy to check us, of course. But as we said, the device and app should be used to monitor your drinking habits, not as an excuse to abuse the system.
The second breathalyser device from BACtrack is a handy keychain example, not much bigger than a car key, measuring 37 x 14 x 62mm and weighing just 56g.
This model, instead of being connected to a smart device of some description, displays your current BAC percentage via a small readout on the front of its body.
Again it’s a quick and simple device and comes with a single AAA battery, three mouthpieces and a user guide. All you need to do is blow into it for a set time, until the counter hits zero (five seconds), and once the sensor has analysed the result, which doesn’t take too long, it’ll be presented on the digital readout.
The single AAA is good for about 150 tests, but you have to be careful and leave a good 20 minutes between tests for an accurate reading – and not to damage the delicate sensor.
As before, it’s an interesting device and one that we’re sure is extremely useful. The example we used earlier, checking someone before they drive you from one location to the next, is an ideal situation for the keychain device. Just tell them what you’re doing before attempting to stick the device in their face.
Overall, both BACtrack breathalysers are produced to a very high quality and are well presented throughout. They’re easy to use, handy to have on a night out (or a morning after) and when used responsibly can have a great benefit for the user and their friends.
The BACtrack Mobile Breathalyser retails at around £132, though, which is a little expensive. However, the BACtrack keychain detector can be had for as little as £25. Either way, both serve their purpose well. David Hayward
A handy pair of devices, but personal responsibility is still needed.