New breathalyser gives instant results
Hopefully the new system will deter motorists from driving under the influence of alcohol, and help save lives.
Those hoping to get away with drunk driving must think again.
The new Evidential Breathalyser Alcohol Testing (EBAT) machine is now being used.
The device was launched as part of the 2019 Easter Road Safety campaign by national and provincial transport departments.
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According to the Department of Transport, the device takes into account gender and age, and prints the results on thermal paper which lasts seven years.
KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo said he is confident that the use of the new breathalyser will see fewer hospital admissions and deaths due to road accidents caused by drunk driving.
He said, “the machine issues the blood-alcohol results immediately, eliminating the need for a blood sample to be sent for analysis by a district surgeon, which could take up to six months due to backlogs.”
Dr Dhlomo said that injuries and deaths due to alcohol-fuelled road accidents eat into the province’s limited health budget.
He is hoping the new system will deter motorists from driving under the influence of alcohol, and help save lives.
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