It is called Alcolock and it is the new weapon against the driving in a state of intoxication foreseen by the innovations introduced in the Italian road code and entered into force last December. It is an electronic device that, installed on the vehicle, obliges the driver to blow into an integrated hetylometer before you can start the engine. If the test detects alcohol in breathing, even in minimal tracks, the vehicle remains blocked. The principle is simple: those who have drunk cannot drive, with the aim of preventing accidents related to alcohol abuse. It is essentially an ethylometer connected to the car ignition system.
Who must use it
The novelty became reality after the signature, last July 2ndof a decree by the Minister of Infrastructure and TransportMatteo Salvini. The provision establishes in detail the technical characteristics and methods of installation of the alcoholck – which can be installed on different types of vehicles, also for freight transport – by receiving the European directives that have been focusing on this technology for some time as a deterrent for recurrence drivers. In Italy, in fact, the obligation will start For those who were surprised to drive with an alcohol content greater than 0.8 grams per liter and for recurrences: in these cases, the license will be returned Only if the vehicle is equipped with the device. «Having guided with an alcohol content greater than 0.8 g/l – explains a note from MIT – is configured as A key measure for recurrencewhich will only be able to conduct vehicles on board which this device is installed ».
To be precise, those who have been sentenced to a final penalty for driving under a state of intoxication with an alcohol content greater than 0.8 gr/l will have to keep alcoholck for the two years following the suspension of the license From 6 months to one year, however applied as an initial measure. If, on the other hand, the alcohol content exceeds 1.5 gr/l The installation obligation will rise to three yearsafter the longest suspension of the license from one to two years ordered by the Prefect.
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The decree specifies that the installation can only be carried out at Authorized workshopswho will have to seal the system to prevent the tampering. In installation, the motorist will receive an official declaration and a calibration certificate to be shown in case of checks. The list of qualified workshops and compatible vehicles will be available on the motorist portal, the official website of the Ministry of Transport.
The costs
From an economic point of view, however, alcoholck is not a cheap solution. The cost ranges from a thousand and two thousand eurosdepending on the type of vehicle and the technology used, not to mention the Periodic expenses for maintenance and recalibration. The device is equipped with a high precision electrochemical sensor that naturally must be overhauled to guarantee reliable results. An aspect that has already raised criticism from associations such as Federcarrozzieri, worried above all about compatibility with the Italian car park, notoriously very old: Over 20% of cars in circulation are more than 19 years old. On dated cars, the installation can be complex or even impossible, both for technical reasons and for costs that would even exceed the residual value of the vehicle itself. Then there is the cost of the disposable mouths to be used at each start of the car.
Who, despite being obliged, does not install the device He risks fines from 158 to 638 euros and the suspension of the license from one to six months. The penalties double If it turns out that the system has been tampered with or altered or even if it is not present and instead it would be expected that it was mounted. In case of Rididiva driving without alcoholckthe penalties increase further, up to 30% more than ordinary sanctions. In addition to these issues, it remains the most basic: that someone starts the car for the driver, blowing in its place in the system. However, it should be added that the alcoholcok can first of all record the information relating to tests (day, now and results) that can be downloaded from the competent authorities and the most sophisticated models can also report the tampering attempts or recognize the human breath from mechanical flows.
Doubts
Italy thus adapts to an already widespread measure in many European countries, from Sweden (first to introduce it) to France passing through Germany and Austria, where alcoholck is used not only as a punitive tool or specific categories of drivers (such as those of school bus) but also as Rehabilitation path of awareness For those who have committed violations related to alcohol. It remains to be seen how truly effective the system will be on our roads, especially in the light of the critical issues related to the costs and see of the car park but the principle remains clear: those who drink must not drive, and the alcoholck aims to make it respect in a technological and immediate way.
Source: Vanity Fair
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