"If Enforcement Effectiveness Increases" Citizens Also Respond Positively to Contactless Drunkenness Detectors

<Report>Pilot Operation of New Alcohol Detector, Gwangju Police Station in Gyeonggi DUI Checkpoint

Detects Alcohol Without Exhaling... Similar Principle to Gas Leak Detectors
Prevents Safety Accidents for Officers from Droplets and DUI Drivers' Escape
Higher Sensitivity Causes More Frequent Responses Than Before... Citizens Say "Effectiveness Seems Good"

On the 20th, when the pilot operation of a newly developed advanced alcohol detector was conducted due to the impact of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), a police officer was conducting a sobriety checkpoint targeting drivers on the road at Yeokdong Samgeori, Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi Province. Photo by Byungdon Yoo, Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province tamond@

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] “We are conducting a drunk driving checkpoint. Please lower your mask, and you do not need to blow into the device.”

At around 10 p.m. on the 20th, at Yeokdong Samgeori in Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi Province. This location is one of the main roads connecting downtown Gwangju and residential complexes, with the highest traffic volume. Due to the impact of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), drunk driving checkpoints had been sparse for a while but have now resumed. This was an unannounced checkpoint conducted two days after the one on the 18th. As with two days prior, a 'contactless detector' was used during this checkpoint. This detector, which can determine alcohol consumption without the driver exhaling, was developed by police officers from the Gwangju Police Station in Gyeonggi.

Starting about 10 meters before the checkpoint, officers asked drivers to roll up their car windows. This is because the alcohol test detects alcohol molecules floating inside the vehicle. It operates on a principle similar to a gas leak detector. If alcohol is present inside the car, a red lamp lights up and a warning beep sounds for five seconds.

About an hour into the checkpoint, at 11:07 p.m., police officers became busy around a white Mercedes-Benz driven by a man in his 50s. The alcohol detector had responded. The man was immediately taken to a police vehicle for a breathalyzer test, which showed a blood alcohol concentration of 0.071%, a level warranting license suspension. The man claimed, “I only had two simple beers at a meal, but the reading was too high,” but since he was driving without a license and had an outstanding fine warrant, he was promptly handed over to the police station.

After 11 p.m. on the 20th, the blood alcohol concentration of a drunk driver detected by the new sensor was 0.071%. This level corresponds to a license suspension.
Gyeonggi Gwangju=Photo by Byungdon Yoo tamond@

Earlier, at 10:18 p.m., a man in his 30s who witnessed the checkpoint tried to escape through a side road but was caught by the police riot squad waiting nearby. His blood alcohol concentration was 0.018%, and he was released with a warning. The man said, “I had one beer, but seeing the checkpoint made me momentarily scared,” adding, “I will never drink and drive again.”

Unlike existing detectors that require the driver to blow strongly into the device placed near the mouth, the new detector can determine alcohol consumption simply by inserting it through the car window gap. It can be used with a mounting rod, so officers do not need to extend their arms inside the vehicle. To prevent false detection from unconscious exhalation by citizens, the detector is also covered with a mesh pouch to block droplets.

The detector’s high sensitivity has led to some amusing incidents. For example, at 10:12 p.m., when the detector first responded, Kim (34), who got out of his car following police instructions and blew hard into the device, showed no alcohol detected. The problem was the gum he was chewing. The scent from the gum was mistaken by the detector as alcohol. Kim said, “I hadn’t been drinking, so I was a bit surprised the detector reacted,” adding with a smile, “The new detector developed due to COVID-19 seems very sensitive, but isn’t that better for catching drunk drivers?” before leaving the scene.

On the 20th, when the pilot operation of a newly developed alcohol detector was conducted due to the impact of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), police officers were conducting a sobriety checkpoint on the road at Yeokdong Samgeori, Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi Province. Photo by Byeongdon Yoo, Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province tamond@

Then, at around 11:11 p.m., the detector responded again in a car driven by a woman in her 20s. However, since she showed no signs of drinking, officers asked her to get out, remove her coat, and breathe into the detector. The blood alcohol concentration was again 0.00%. This time, the cause was an air freshener sprayed inside the vehicle.

Regarding such errors with the new detector, Kim Yong-sik, head of the Security and Traffic Division at Gwangju Police Station, explained, “The new detector is much more sensitive than the existing ones, making it more effective for drunk driving checkpoints,” adding, “During the pilot operation period, we are finding the most appropriate sensitivity and measurement methods to minimize inconvenience to citizens.”

The National Police Agency plans to analyze and improve the results after a week of pilot operation of the contactless detector and then expand its use nationwide.

Meanwhile, according to the National Police Agency, after suspending drunk driving checkpoints to prevent COVID-19, drunk driving accidents and fatalities have increased. In fact, compared to January to March last year, drunk driving accidents increased by 24.4% (from 3,296 to 4,101 cases), and fatalities rose by 6.8% (from 74 to 79 people) during the same period this year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.