A new breathalyser acquired by the Mumbai traffic police will finally put an end to the tedious grind of having policemen smell your breath, each time you are stopped at a checkpoint in the city
A new breathalyser acquired by the Mumbai traffic police will finally put an end to the tedious grind of having policemen smell your breath, each time you are stopped at a checkpoint in the city.
The blower doesn't require the driver to insert it in the mouth. Pic/ Bipin Kokate
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The device, used to detect if a driver is under the influence of alcohol, just requires one to blow into it without touching, to gauge the alcohol levels, if any. “We have just started using this new device. Currently, it is only being used at a few checkpoints, but it has made the procedure more convenient,” said Ashok Rade, police sub-inspector, BKC traffic police, who was on duty for a drink-and-drive check on the Western Express Highway at Kalanagar junction last night.
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According to Rade, the device has won favour among the traffic police staff because of its user-friendly blower. “One can just blow into it without touching it. The cop only needs to point this device to the driver’s mouth. It beeps after the blow test is done and gives a primary report of whether the driver is under the influence of alcohol or not. If the first test is positive, then the driver is asked to park the vehicle, after which we follow the routine practice of asking him/her to blow into a pipe for a few seconds to detect the levels of alcohol in the driver’s system,” said Rade.
Officials also said that the detection rate has been next to accurate. Tulshiram Jadhav, assistant sub-inspector, BKC traffic police, said, “Even drivers are appreciating the new practice, which we feel is a good sign. Previously, if a driver was not under the influence, but the other passengers were, the car would stink, prompting us to carry out tests. This would waste our time. The new practice is more accurate.”
When contacted, Amitesh Kumar, joint commissioner of police, traffic, said that the new device was introduced around two months ago. “The device is also equipped with a recording device through which we get direct feeds in the traffic control room,” he said. Kumar added that the traffic police have procured 150 such machines for its staff across the city.
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