Notes: Wile many people may not think about carrying a blood alcohol breathalyzer around either on their person or in the glove box of their car, it does make a lot of sense when you think about it for a while and contemplate the consequences of not having one. With the current out of pocket cost of roughly $10,000 for a DWI conviction  assuming you do not crash your vehicle , which your insurance company will NOT pay for if you are convicted, the potential injury or loss of life to you and others the investment seems worthwhile. Especially if you are in the alcohol industry in any form from salesperson, bartender , or distiller, a conviction can have career ending consequences.

A GOOD breathalyzer can not only dramatically lessen the chance of this happening but also has the additional benefit of being able to check others (assuming they are willing) and quickly end any arguments about someones sobriety or lack thereof . Think of it as an investment in your safety and the safety of others. As such you should buy a good quality breathalyzer, just as you would a fire extinguisher , hydrometer, or any other piece of critical gear.
Those $20 breathalyzers of the “novelty use only” type are a waste of money and potentially dangerous. As a former skydiving instructor I always lectured people on the cost of cheap parachutes or other gear, the same applies to things like this. Don’t cheap out but you do not have to go gold plated either.

I think that the BAC tracker represent a great value on several fronts, size, accuracy, usability and software that adds a lot of useful features that go beyond the usual breathalyzer.

Appearance: White plastic body with a smoked grey plastic top and column that almost makes it look a little like a butane lighter. Coming in at 2 ½ inches tall by roughly 2 inches wide making it slightly larger than that box of mints you are using to try to fool law enforcement with .

First Impression: Appears to be a solid and well made unit. Comes with a small zippered carry case, a charging cable (microUSB  and some extra mouthpieces

Testing:  It was very easy to use and interpret Once you have downloaded the app ( and as a side note –  PLEASE leave it on an easy to find spot on your phone – if you can’t find it sober you will not find it when you are tipsy) just call up the app and push the button. A glowing blue light will appear on the unit and follow the directions on your phone.

One of the more notable features is that if you retry the BACtrack at intervals it will develop a personal baseline for you in terms of how fast ( or slow) you metabolize alcohol and start to customize its predictions of when you might be sober .

Features: Rechargeable battery (via micro USB cable supplied with unit, small form factor, zippered case to keep device clean and debris free.Disposable mouth pieces.

In the Field: Small, light easy to carry. Have never had battery run out on me during a day and night of use.Easy to use and small discrete form factor makes it easy to use and does not intimidate others when you offer it to them. It has settled a number of arguments about fitness to drive or operate machinery for a number of people.  It has also proven to be very useful to objectively benchmark actual BAC against what I think it is ( usually pretty close on the money but still very useful.

Other:  Many other models available at quite reasonable prices. This model pairs with a smart phone but there are a number of other models that are complete standalone units also. Extra mouthpieces are available at a very reasonable price. Would highly recommend it to anyone for both safety and to be able to check their own BAC against what they think it is. Gives you useful insight into your own health and behavior.

Final Thoughts: Not only a potential career saver but lifesaver too .

Website:  www.bactrak.com

Attractive and well laid out website with good information