Drunk drivers give wild readings in breathalyser tests

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In recent years Finnish motorists have thrown up some crazy readings in the police alcometric screenings. Last Friday for example, a middle-aged driver blew a 5.37 per mil reading in the southeastern municipality of Puumala.
      In the last five years, an alcometric reading of over five per mil has been observed by the police over 130 times. In eight cases the motorist managed to produce an astonishing reading of over seven per mil.
     
"These figures, however, are just readings from the screening breathalysers. The more accurate results achieved by blood testing and with precision meters are usually considerably lower", reveals Chief Inspector Heikki Seppä from the Helsinki Traffic and Special Police reveals.
      The screening meters used by the police in the field work are not 100% reliable. The readings they give are too high if the person being tested has just had a drink.
      "In other respects the meters are very accurate", Seppä adds.
     
The blood alcohol level is always verified with precision alcometers or blood tests. Last year, the blood alcohol level of 435 drunk drivers was verified to exceed 3.0 per mil by blood testing. This is a large number, and yet it does not even contain those whose blood alcohol levels were confirmed using precision alcometers.
      According to Seppä, the blood alcohol level of around three percent of all the drunk drivers each year is higher than three per mil, or six times greater than the threshold limit for sanctions on someone who is behind the wheel of a car.
      A National Public Health Institute specialist confirms that a blood alcohol concentration exceeding 0.3% is extremely dangerous. "A BAC of three parts per mil (0.3%) is already life-threatening, but five per mil is usually considered lethal", notes Professor Jouko Lönnqvist from the National Public Health Institute.
      In Finland the limit for aggravated drunk driving is 1.2 per mil, or 0.12%. A person with normal tolerance starts to feel sick when the blood alcohol level reaches 1.5 per mil.
      "If someone is able to reach a blood alcohol level of 3.0 per mil, this usually speaks of dedicated practice”, Lönnqvist explains.
      People who reach such readings are usually men born in the 1950s.
      "This requires sustained training and that one manages to stay alive for 50 years."
     
In the light of the DUI statistics, this year has been bleak. Between January and the end of July, there was a 13.7% rise in the number of ordinary drunk driving offences. Aggravated drunk driving saw an increase of 5.8%.
      "At the present rate, this will be the decade’s worst year with regard to drunk driving offences", says Sgt. Pertti Mäkeläinen from the Traffic Police.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Doubling in number of accidents caused by youth drunk driving (20.2.2007)

Links:
  Finnish Police: Drunken Driving

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