Alcolock prevents the drivers of any vehicle from driving under the influence

In South Africa we have one of the highest incidence of drunken driving cases and alcohol related car accidents in the world. Methods used by the South African Police Services have barely discouraged thousands of road users in the country from getting into their vehicles when they are over the legal limit. PFK Electronics based in Durban has found the answer with a tailor-made product that has been extremely successful in Sweden and many other European countries for the past four years.

The product is an Autowatch TAB, a tethered alcohol breathalyser based immobiliser, aptly named ‘Alcolock’. We spoke to Colin Snyman, the company’s spokesperson, “Alcolock prevents the drivers of any vehicle from driving under the influence. Even if a driver is over the limit and feels comfortable getting behind the wheel, the system will literally not allow that person to drive.” The fitting of Alcolock immobilisers is becoming a legal requirement for trucks, buses and taxis in most European countries. Nordic countries such as Sweden have been taking the lead in protecting road users and the public from the carnage caused by drunken drivers.

“The Alcolock system consists basically of two parts, the breathalyser unit into which the driver has to give a breath sample, and the actual immobiliser system which will prevent the driver from starting the vehicle if the breath sample is over the legal limit.” continues Snyman. The actual breath alcohol content is stored in the unit and can be retrieved by the Fleet Manager or can even be relayed, via GSM, to a Control Centre or Cell phone. The actual alcohol limit is pre-set at the factory as the legally allowed alcohol level is country dependant and differs for private and commercial drivers. Up to 16 000 events can be logged and the data provides an accurate record of the driver’s drinking habits.

“The biggest market for Alcolocks is Fleet vehicles (Freight and Rentals) and public transport vehicles such as Busses and Taxis.” said Snyman. “Not only does the Alcolock save lives but it also reduces the risk and exposure of Freight Companies in protecting their valuable assets.”

The breathalyser uses Platinum based fuel cell technology to convert the alcohol to an electrical current. The Breathalyzer is in fact a very sensitive alcohol measuring instrument and is as accurate as any Police Screener.“The unit can display the actual breath alcohol level, but we find that Fleet Managers normally do not want this option, They simply want the display to state ‘PASS’ or ‘FAIL’” said Snyman.

However, Alcolock is far more sophisticated than aPolice Breathalyser Screener. Normally in a Police road block scenario, the driver is asked to give a breath sample with the Police Officer present, a process which the driver tries to get through as quickly as possible. However, the Alcolock Immobilizer ispermanently installed into the vehicleand when that driver is intoxicated he/she, in many cases, will inevitably try to ‘beat’ the unit. “With the early Alcolock systems, “clever” drivers simply blew air into a balloon and left it in the Cab before going into the Pub and then used this as a breath sample when they got back, or they would use compressed airor even “suck” at the back rather than blowing into the front of the system,” said Snyman, “Anything to falsify the sample in an effort to get a ‘pass’ reading.” However, the Alcolock System has so called ‘anti-circumvention technology’ built into the unit to ensure that the breath sample it is analyzing is human and that the sample has been blown through the front part of the device. The unitcan also be programmed to request samples at random while driving. This system can actually help protect a sober driver as all data is stored in a non-volatile memory, so should there be an accident it can be retrieved and serve as a record of the driver’s actual alcohol level preceding the accident.

“We also realize that it is extremely important that we do not have the Alcolock Breathalyzer system giving a “pass” when the driver is in fact over the limit, and we also want to avoid a sober driver getting a “fail” result, as this will immobilize his vehicle and it may cost him his job.” To ensure this does not occur, PFK systems comply to theEuropean Standard for Alcohol Breathalyzer Immobilizers(CENELEC standard). This ensures the product’s reliability and protection against circumvention.

“PFK have found that having an Alcolock installed drastically changes Driver behavior. Drivers do not want their Superiors to know that they drink, even on occasion, because the result will go onto their personal record. For this reason, they often elect not to drink anything” continues Snyman.Not only can the Supervisor see from downloaded data which drivers tried to start their vehicles but failed because they were over the limit, but he/she can also see who was drinking the night before and couldn’t start the vehicle due to residual traces of alcohol.

If a GSM link is added it will inform the Supervisor instantaneously that a specific driver has failed when trying to start his/her vehicle. The unit also has a one start emergency override to ensure the driver is not stranded in a dangerous location such as on an intersection, railway crossing or tunnel. Snyman adds, “If the Fleet Manager or Supervisor wants GSMcommunication, they canpurchase the GSM communicator outright or enter into a monthly service agreement to cover the cost.”

The total Alcolock Immobilizer System is slightly more expensive than standard remote immobilizers but there is an option to rent or lease the system. However, as Snyman says, “the cost of the Breathalyzer Immobilizersystem is insignificant when compared to the value of the Truck, Cargo or passengers that it will be protecting.”

PFK was established in 1985 and is a leading designer and manufacturer of automotive vehicle security systems under the AUTOWATCH brand name and exports to 25 countries globally including Sweden, UK, Denmark, France and Netherlands. The Company is ISO TS 16949, ISO 14001 certified and a first tier Supplier to major vehicle manufacturers (OEM’s).