Technology protects drivers at work
June 29th 2007

To coincide with the imminent introduction of greater employer responsibilities through the new Corporate Manslaughter Bill, Alcolock GB has launched a device to protect against drink-driving in the UK.

The Alcolock combines a breathalyser identical to those supplied to the police but linked to an immobiliser fitted discreetly within the vehicle. The driver must give a breath sample under the legal limit (0.35mg per 100ml of breath) in order to start the vehicle. If the sample is above the limit the vehicle stays immobilised until another under the limit sample is given.

Alcolocks have been in use for some time as part of drink drive rehabilitation programmes in countries such as Canada, America and Australia. In Europe, the Swedish government is leading the way by establishing legislation for all vehicles to be fitted with an Alcolock by 2012, with buses and lorries having them by 2010.

“Under H&S legislation, companies have to have an alcohol at work policy”, says David Freeman, who is the UK representative of the European Committee for developing European standards for alcolocks. “But you can never be absolutely certain it is being followed. Having an alcolock in the vehicle is a simple way of being certain.”

The new corporate manslaughter bill, due to have its Royal assent later this year, will put greater emphasis on companies to be responsible for any incidents involving vehicles operated by them. The basis of the bill is that the management as a whole will be held responsible, so if a vehicle operator has an accident the morning after an evening out and is still over the drink drive limit, the company will be held liable and could lose their operators licence in addition to receiving a substantial fine.

Alcolock GB Managing Director, David Whittock, went on to explain: “the morning after is a big consideration for a number of organisations. It’s so easy to have a few drinks with some friends and then wake up the next day thinking that you are fine. But the chances are that if you are driving early in the morning you will still be over the limit and this is the big concern to employers. The Alcolock prevents the driver from starting the vehicle in the first place so the driver, the public and the employer are all safe”.

The company reports there are roughly 560 deaths and 2500 life changing serious injuries a year due to drink driving (the equivalent of a 7/7 bomb every month of the year) and the Alcolock is one way to help reduce this figure.

“Drink driving is a problem that needs a multiple solution”, says Robert Gifford of PACT (Parliamentary Advisory Committee for Transport Safety). “We need new ways of dealing with the habitual offender and the Alcolock is one such option.”

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