Cops provided with 90, 000 alcohol breathalyzer units

Traffic police officers countrywide are to intensify raids against drunken drivers in the coming days after they were provided with a consignment of 90, 000 blood alcohol sensing breathalyzers today yet fulfilling a dire need felt for months.

The Police Department today distributed a batch of 90, 000 brand new state-of-the-art blood alcohol sensing breathalyzers amongst its 42 Senior Superintendent Divisions around the country including that of the Colombo Traffic Police Headquarters, the Police Spokesman stated.

The dispatch of breathalyzer units were made following a severe shortage of such equipment for months making arrests related to drunk driving significantly minimal.

Police Spokesman SP Ruwan Gunasekara in a communiqué disclosing the media yesterday that each and every police station will be provided with these units stated that the raids against drunken drivers will also be intensified in the coming days.

By intensifying such raids the police will also request from the judiciary to suspend the driver’s license for a considerable period of those who get penalized over driving under the influence of liquor.

Speaking to Daily Mirror Deputy Inspector General in charge of Traffic Kamal Silva said the stock of modern handheld electronic breathalyzer units were imported from the UK on special tender board criteria.

He said the samples of the units were first referred to the Government Analyst Department from where the testing was done and the approval was granted for the procurement with the particular model.

According to the DIG, the police file 30,000 to 40,000 drunken driving cases in courts annually and testing a suspect through the breathalyzer is mandatory to determine whether he is under the influence or not for legal action.

However, a scarcity of these units in the recent months had crippled the duty of traffic police officers in performing their duty of apprehending a drunken driver, as in certain cases the culprits were daring to challenge the police officer demanding a scientific checkup prior to their arrest.

He said with the arrival of these new units the raids on drunken driving, which is a grave threat to the road safety, could be escalated in the near future and bring all those who disregard the law to book.

DIG Silva said a single unit of blood alcohol sensing breathalyzer unit is approximately cost around Rs.3,000 and that they could be used only once.

“If the driver is under the influence beyond the registered measurement of consumption of alcohol, the green indictor will turn into red. Although the indication doesn’t turn red or the driver was not found drunk, the unit cannot be used again,” he said.

He warned all motorists to be aware the breathalyzers have been issued countrywide and policemen are compelled to take action if the driver is intoxicated while driving. (Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana)