Smart Start to combat Drunk Driving with Smarter Breathalyzers

Companies like Smart Start are advancing technology in order to keep DWI offenders from cheating on their breathalyzer tests.

These smarter breathalyzers aim to keep an eye on the offenders outside of the courtroom with a new vantage point; cameras. With these new breathalyzers, Smart Start intends to stay one step ahead of the violators and the tricks they use with the ignition interlock devices.

Installation of breathalyzers may be required by law by convicted drunk drivers. A breathalyzer aims to measure the blood alcohol content of the DWI offender while driving, to ensure that the person is not drunk.

There are a number of devices available for drunk drivers which they can lease and install in their vehicle. However, despite the installation of these devices in their vehicles, offenders try to cheat on their breathalyzer tests by letting someone else to take the test for them.

Former probation officer, Carolina Kolpack knows that offenders try cheating on their breathalyzer tests. She said, “The devices that are used for Smart Start are all equipped with a camera to capture the image of a client that is giving the breath sample and that’s to prevent a client from circumventing what is required of them to do which is their own breath sample.”

Apart from incorporating cameras to the breathalyzers, Smart Start will also be introducing a GPS system to take breath samples from the client. The GPS system will be the size of a cell phone and will be carried by the person as opposed to being installed in a vehicle.

For now, the car interlock by Smart Start can be leased monthly to install in the vehicle, which has a camera along with two “in-home” devices.

These in-home devices differ in their functionality as the in-home cellular allows the monitoring authority to check on the offender at any point in time during the day, by asking the violator to come into the shop for a check.

The Smart Start camera installed in-homes and interlocks allow convicted drunk drivers that don’t have a vehicle to still be monitored, have their blood alcohol level checked and insure it is in fact the convicted person blowing into the device.