Gizmodo reports on a new bike lock with a built-in breathalyser. The Alcoho-Lock will send a message to a nominated friend or partner should you fail its test.
The lock connects to the user’s smartphone and once they have breathed into the sensor, it will display the amount of alcohol detected within an app. Fail the test and it will send a text message to whoever has been nominated in advance. This will then allow the concerned friend to – in the words of the Alcoho-Lock website – “convince them with the power of love.”
The expected price tag for this is around £200.
The creators claim that the Alcoho-Lock is the world’s first breathalyser bike lock. However, in 2010 a group of engineers from Taiwan applied to patent an electric bicycle which featured a handlebar-mounted breathalyser that would prevent the bike from being ridden if the cyclist were over the legal limit.
In the UK, cycling while under the influence of drink or drugs is covered by section 30 (1) of the Road Traffic Act 1988, which says:
A person who, when riding a cycle on a road or other public place, is unfit to ride through drink or drugs (that is to say, is under the influence of drink or a drug to such an extent as to be incapable of having proper control of the cycle) is guilty of an offence.
However, unlike driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, however, there is no set threshold beyond which an offence is committed.
In-car breathalysers have been around for a while and are employed in some countries to prevent convicted drink-drivers from getting behind the wheel. In 2012, the BBC reported the government's former chief drugs adviser David Nutt’s belief that these should be installed in cars as standard.
"You hear about terrible accidents when four or five young people die simultaneously in the one car because the driver's been drunk,” he said. “It could save a lot of lives."
21 thoughts on “Breathalyser bike lock intended to prevent drunk cycling”
wait, the sensor is on the
wait, the sensor is on the lock itself? Yeah, that’s nice and easy to use…
Instructions for use: Lie
Instructions for use: Lie down on pavement, fiddle with lock until it’s facing your face, blow.
velobetty wrote:Instructions
then get nicked for performing oral sex with a bicycle….
Also note that it’s £200 for
Also note that it’s £200 for a lock which doesn’t seem to even get Silver-rated…
jacknorell wrote:Also note
Probably because it would only protect against drunk thieves.
Absolute waste of time,
Absolute waste of time, though it would have saved me a suit a few years back…
If you are thinking of buying
If you are thinking of buying this, then can I suggest that you phone a friend who can “convince you with the power of common sense” to just not.
Why would you put a lock on
Why would you put a lock on your bike and go drinking when the lock is so useless, the only person that it keeps from taking your bike is you. And only then if you don’t want to break it to get to your bike and only then because it’s really expensive.
Talk about problems that don’t need solving.
Maybe I’m misunderstanding
Maybe I’m misunderstanding it, but it does seem awfully inconvenient to have to contact a friend so they can come out and blow into the lock for you.
Anyone that would spend that
Anyone that would spend that much for a poor quality lock would likely buy a second normal lock to take with them for times they are going drinking. This technology works in cars because you always have to use it, it’s not optional.
Easy – if you’re too drunk to
Easy – if you’re too drunk to unlock the bike just take the car instead.
Love to see how this would go
Love to see how this would go down in the Netherlands!
Or put the £200 towards a
Or put the £200 towards a folding bicycle and catch a cab home, or call the concerned friend to come and collect you!
Quote:However, unlike driving
So how is this lock calibrated? What threshold will be set if the law says there isn’t a threshold? And, how come someone can kickstart something like this and yet cars and other motor vehicles still don’t have it as standard???
(Secondly, totally agree with other posters who have commented on this, but going by where most people lock their locks, it really will look like you are so drunk that you copped off with your bicycle… Very Flann O’Brien, or is that the point of this lock? If you are drunk enough not to be embarrassed blowing into the lock, then you are WAAY too drunk to be riding the bike).
This must surely get a
This must surely get a nomination for the Useless Product Of The Year award (UPOTY)
Don’t let Trek see this….
Don’t let Trek see this…. B-)
I’ve bought one of those. I’m
I’ve bought one of those. I’m a drunken narcissist with a split personality, so it texts me when I’m pissed and I try to talk myself out of climbing back onto our tandem.
Just think how much booze you
Just think how much booze you could get from Lidl’s, for £200, instead!
Strictly speaking here in the
Strictly speaking here in the Netherlands cycling drunk is also forbidden, but in practise it’s highly recommended because being drunk on the bike is 1000 times less dangerous than drunk driving.
Also, if you’re by bike you make sure you don’t get so drunk that you fall over. So riding your bike to the bar puts some kind of upper limit on the amount of beers.
[[[[[ Yeah but in Holland
[[[[[ Yeah but in Holland you’d probably be blowing gigglysmoke as well–and what would your lock make of that?
If you have £200 to spend on
If you have £200 to spend on a lock, you clearly love your bicycle enough to spend that money and you aren’t going to be riding drunk anyway surely?