 Safety-minded fleet owners know mistakes can happen. Leading employers are now pro-actively implementing The ALCOLOCK™ V3 as part of their fleet safety program
The use of alcohol interlocks for transportation safety is a growing phenomenon. Originally developed as a safety device for all vehicles in 1970, it was not until 1985 that they were first used as a condition of probation for repeat drink-drive offenders. Now the use of alcohol interlocks extends worldwide as an active safety measure for commercial and passenger transport vehicles, as well as in compliance programs for drink drive offenders. However, the idea has come full circle with a movement to develop a technology that can be used in all vehicles as a preventive measure.
An alcohol interlock is a breath alcohol tester that is connected with power, logic and starting mechanisms of a vehicle. The driver has to provide a breath sample with an alcohol concentration below the allowed limit to start the vehicle. In compliance programs, the driver must also provide periodic random retests to ensure no alcohol is being consumed while driving.
Certainty
Researchers have demonstrated that the use of alcohol interlocks significantly reduces repeat drink-driving amongst the offender population, and when used in commercial programs, there is a certainty of sober drivers. These positive results have encouraged public safety bodies such as Association Prévention Routière in France and European Transport Safety Council to recommend the widespread use of alcohol interlocks amongst all forms of commercial transport. To assure consumers that alcohol interlocks are credible and accurate, certification standards have been established, the most comprehensive being CENELEC EN 50436 (2005) which is effective throughout Europe. To remain relevant, this norm is reviewed and updated every five years and member states can add to the requirements, as in France by UTAC (l’Union Technique de l’Automobile, du Motorcycle et du Cycle), and in The Netherlands by the Dutch Ministry of Transport and Waterways.
Mandatory alcohol interlock programs are becoming the norm, not only for drink-driving offenders as we have seen develop in Canada, USA, Australia and presently in Europe; but also for commercial and passenger transport. In Sweden, municipal governments have been setting conditions for vehicles that are contracted for public works, and more significantly, in France a new regulation was proclaimed effective January 1, 2010 that all buses that transport children must be fitted with an alcohol interlock with full integration completed by August 31, 2015.
OEM (factory) installation of an alcohol interlock in new vehicles is presently underway. Volvo Truck Corporation was the first, followed by Volvo Cars offering an optional alcohol interlock in new cars, and then Volvo Bus, which recently won a safety award for the integration of an alcohol interlock into their new product line. To serve the French market, most of the bus manufacturers have also begun factory installation (IVECO, IRIS, EVOBUS, MANN, Van Houle, DEISTER amongst others). Full integration of an alcohol interlock within the safety and vehicle control systems is the logical next step.
The next step
Where do we go from here? Volvo Trucks has already demonstrated an interactive integration of an alcohol interlock within the vehicle’s telematics system. The fleet manager can communicate with the driver, observe in real time the location of the vehicle, and respond in real time to any breath alcohol test results over the limit value to dispatch an alternate driver. This approach couples active safety with the commercial requirements for the safe transport of goods and passengers.
For more information
To learn how to equip your fleet with alcohol interlocks, visit www.acs-corp.com |
