The Tilted Kilt in northeast Phoenix is just one local bar that is taking on new initiatives to prevent drunk driving and DUI arrests. The Arizona Republic reports that the bar's owner, Kerry Phelps, proudly displays the Alco-Checkpoint near the establishment's front doors.
The Alco-Checkpoint machine tests a person's blood-alcohol content, so that people leaving the bar can see how much alcohol is their system and decide on their own whether or not it is safe to drive. Mr. Phelps said that his decision to install the breath analyzer machine came when he learned that the number of DUI arrests in the area had been increasing. The Governor's Office of Highway Safety safety stated that DUI arrests were up in Arizona by about 35 percent from 2008 to 2009.
"For us, we feel this is a piece of equipment that will make people think twice before getting behind the wheel to drive drunk," Mr. Phelps told the Arizona Republic.
Other bars in Arizona, such as The Vine Tavern in Tempe, also have breath analyzer machines. But law enforcers and Phoenix DUI attorneys agree that the BAC level that the machine shows should not be used as evidence in court. A disclaimer on the Alco-Checkpoint at the Tilted Kilt reads that the machine is for "novelty use only."
The machine's accuracy is supposed to be similar to that of hand-held breath analyzers that are on the market. For the most accurate readings, Mr. Phelps recommends that guests use the machine 10 minutes after drinking or smoking cigarettes.
Related Resources:
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Breathalyzer Testing Questioned, Again, In Florida (FindLaw Knowledgebase)
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Phoenix DUI Attorney Directory (FindLaw)
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