Breathalyser in United Kingdom

Definition of Breathalyser

In accordance with the work A Dictionary of Law, this is a description of Breathalyser :

A device, approved by the Secretary of State, that is used in the preliminary *breath test to measure the amount of alcohol in a driver’s breath. Modern devices, such as the Lion Alcometer 7410, are battery-operated. The suspect blows through a tube and lights indicate when sufficient breath has been delivered and the range within which the alcohol level falls. Earlier devices were based on a tube attached to a balloon, which the suspect had to inflate in one breath: a change in the colour of crystals inside the tube indicated that there was alcohol in the breath. A breathalyser should not be used within 20 minutes after consuming alcohol or on a suspect who has just been smoking. Constables must give instructions; testing suspects who have difficulty with breathing requires special care.