What is an alcohol block? This device, in fact, is a breathalyzer that will allow you to start the car after the driver blows on it, but provided that there is no ethanol vapor in the exhalation. It is assumed that by using the device, drunk drivers will never be able to appear on the road. The idea seemed very good to me. But like any idea, there are some pitfalls.
What are the requirements established by the new GOST? This standard applies to driver monitoring systems intended to be installed in vehicles used for the commercial transportation of passengers, including those specially designed for the transportation of children. That is, for all cars and buses. And also for vehicles intended for the transport of dangerous, special, heavy and bulky goods, urban solid waste and garbage, that is, for all trucks.
It is assumed that the driver can be identified. If the driver turns the car off but starts it again in five minutes, he won’t have to bleed again.
Information about a drunken attempt to start the engine can be transmitted both directly to motor transport companies and to government agencies. Including, with the help of the GLONASS system installed in the car.
Let’s start with the story. The use of alcolocks is widespread in Sweden. An experiment has been carried out there for more than ten years: a driver who was first caught drunk while driving cannot lose his license, as long as he installs an alcohol lock on his car. Of course, in charge of him. However, there is a caveat. If you breathe alcohol vapor into the alcolock, then not only will the car not start, but information about this will go to the appropriate processing center. And after that, the conditional deprivation of rights will take effect, and the driver will have to walk. It should be noted that even in Sweden this possibility is not enshrined in law. The experiment has been going on for the second decade.
What we have? In Russia, it has been proposed to use alcohol locks for about ten years. Numerous experiments were also carried out, but without legal consequences. They limited themselves to the fact that the car did not start, and that’s fine. Said locks were placed on regular and school buses. And the experiments everywhere were recognized as successful. But things did not progress. Still, the economic component plays an important role. Such locks are extremely expensive, and even more expensive to install. After all, it is necessary to intervene in the work of the “brains” of the car in order to prescribe them in the control unit.
In addition, there is the only Swedish company on the market that produces such locks without any complaints. Very often, when operating vehicles with alcohol locks, unforeseen situations arose. Even a completely sober driver could not start the car. Sometimes the car stopped on the route. All experiments stalled due to the impossibility of continuous operation of the machines without very serious investments.
In Sweden itself, a whole road safety institute is dedicated to its improvement, verification and promotion.
What is the new standard? In fact, so far nothing more than the general requirements for this type of lock. To compel someone to install them, appropriate laws are required. And if they are adopted suddenly, car manufacturers will have to at least figure out the possibility of installing such devices. And it is very expensive. Obviously, a car with the possibility of installing such a system will be much more expensive than a car without it. Experts support the installation of this type of device for carsharing and taxis. But in production, these are the same cars that are sold to all other citizens who use them for personal purposes.
Is it possible to bypass the alcohol block? As experiments in Sweden have shown, this is practically impossible. It measures not only ethanol vapors, but also the temperature of the exhaled air, as well as its pressure. Therefore, pumping the device from a pump or a balloon will not work. You can ask another person to blow. But what to do on the road when the device asks you to repeat the exhalation? If there is an identification system, then this option is completely unacceptable.
Will fleets want to spend money installing such systems? There are big doubts. Only if they have frequent cases of drunken accidents. But there are other ways to solve the problem for this. In general, it turns out to be too expensive a pleasure, especially given the sanctions, the shortage of cars and the increasing cost of all high-tech equipment.
By the way, at one time it was said that the Ministry of Internal Affairs was involved in the development of a law on the use of alcohol locks. Later, the Ministry of the Interior denied this information, pointing out that the Constitution directly prohibits the imposition of commercial services on citizens. And what is the installation of such devices with payment for their maintenance, if not the imposition of commercial services?
