Breathalyzers for pre-trip inspection of drivers: characteristics and models
Drivers of commercial vehicles are required to undergo pre-trip inspections before each trip. This is especially true for those who carry passengers or dangerous goods. One of the points of the pre-trip inspection is the determination of alcohol in the exhaled air. You can check this indicator using a breathalyzer.
On the Vodi.su website, we have already talked about the choice of amateur breathalyzers, which can be bought at almost any stall. Unfortunately, they give too much error, so organizations buy more reliable devices.
In a professional environment, they clearly share:
- breathalyzer - an amateur measuring device with a large error and a small number of measurements, it can be used only 1-2 times a week for your own needs;
- The breathalyzer is a professional device, it is just used in enterprises, it is precisely in it that the traffic police officer will make you blow.
Breathalyzer device
The device is quite simple - there is a hole for air intake. The breathalyzer can be with a mouthpiece, without a mouthpiece, or even with a special suction device. Exhaled air enters, its composition is analyzed using a sensor.
There are several types of sensors:
- semiconductor;
- electrochemical;
- infrared.
If you bought a tester for your own use at a small price, then it will be semiconductor. The principle of its operation is simple: the sensor is a crystalline structure, vapors pass through it, ethanol molecules are absorbed inside the sensor and change the electrical conductivity of the substance. The alcohol content in the exhalation is determined by how much the conductivity changes.
It is clear that with such a scheme of work, time is required until alcohol vapor evaporates from the sorbent. Accordingly, the tester cannot be used very often.
Infrared and electrochemical breathalyzers are classified as professional. The former give very accurate results. In essence, they are spectrographs and are designed for a certain absorption wave, that is, they will accurately capture ethanol molecules in the air. True, their problem is that the accuracy of the readings largely depends on the ambient temperature. They are used in first-aid posts, laboratories, mobile stations. The error does not exceed 0,01 ppm.
Electrochemical also have high accuracy - +/- 0,02 ppm. They do not depend on the ambient temperature, so they are used in the traffic police. If we talk about pre-trip inspections, then both infrared (or more advanced - nanotechnological with an infrared sensor) and electrochemical are used for pre-trip inspections.
The requirements for such breathalyzers are very strict:
- designed for a large number of measurements - up to 300 per day;
- high accuracy - 0,01-0,02 ppm;
- regular calibrations at least 1-2 times a year.
Many tester models are equipped with printers for printing measurement results on thermal paper. This printout is then pasted into the driver's waybill or attached to his folder in order to confirm the fact of the pre-trip inspection in which case.
We also note that the so-called autoblockers (alcoblocks) with a GPS / GLONASS module have also appeared. They are connected to the car's navigation system and at any time the head of the transport company, a traffic police officer or regulatory authorities may require the driver to blow into the tube. If the rate of ethanol is exceeded, the engine is automatically blocked. It can only be unlocked by another driver who has a tachograph card for this car.
Commercially available pre-trip breathalyzer models
It should be said that professional measuring instruments are not cheap devices. In addition, devices that have passed all the necessary tests and received a registration certificate from the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation are allowed to be used. That is, their list is legally approved, although it is constantly updated as more advanced models appear on the market.
Alcotector can be distinguished from Russian breathalyzers Jupiter-K, its price is 75 thousand rubles.
Key Features:
- the error does not exceed 0,02 ppm;
- the number of measurements - up to 500 per day (no more than 100, subject to printouts of readings);
- there is a built-in printer;
- measurements can be taken at intervals of 10 seconds;
- there is a GLONASS / GPS module for fixing the place of air intake on the map;
- there is Bluetooth.
It is equipped with a touch screen, can be connected to the car's 12/24 Volt network through the adapter included. The service life without calibration is up to one year.
Of the cheaper ones, one can note AlcoScreen manufactured in Canada. The device is equipped with an electrochemical sensor, is very light, runs on batteries, gives accurate results. Designed for 5000 measurements without calibration. Calibration must be done every six months. That is, it is an ideal choice for a small company with up to 20 drivers. It costs in the range of 14-15 thousand rubles.
Another well-known manufacturer of such devices is the German company Drager. Professional Tester Carrier Alcotest 6510 at a price of 45 thousand rubles, designed for a large number of measurements, while being small in size. The error does not exceed 0,02 ppm over a wide temperature range. There are all necessary certificates of the Ministry of Health.
And there are still a lot of such models, prices range from 15 to 150 thousand.
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