Traffic police are considering buying three, THB100,000 breathalyzers from the US and employing them to catch drunk drivers during the Songkran Festival. The investment is part of the traffic police’s attempt to conduct speedier, more accurate alcohol tests and subsequently reduce road accidents.
Police cited the size and advanced technology used in the breathalyzers as the main motivators for their procurement. The purchase will be partially funded by the private sector.
Pol Col Weerawit Wajjanapukka, chief of the Traffic Police Division’s ticket information center, said that the new breathalyzers would transmit test results to a central computer via an infrared system. The devices have passed inspection from the United States’ Food and Drug Administration and their results can be submitted as evidence in a legal proceeding.
Weerawit said that the police would conduct a price-cost analysis before going through with the purchase. The devices will be used only at traffic police alcohol checkpoints, Dailynews reported.
