Drager ban won't let drivers off hook

The recent decision by the National Prosecuting Authority to withdraw or suspend provisionally all cases in which a Drager breathalyser test has been used to measure drivers’ blood/alcohol levels should not be viewed as just another way for drunk drivers to avoid penalties.

This advice comes from Helen Szemerei, CEO of insurance company IntegriSure, who says that South African insurance underwriters have become very vigilant in repudiating claims in a country where “drunk driving has become a socially acceptable practice”. (It's not just socially accepted - it's the national sport)

“The South African insurance industry does recognise the result of breathalyser tests,” says Szemerei. “A written statement from a traffic officer at the scene indicating that the driver appeared intoxicated may also be acceptable for some insurers to reject a claim.”

Some insurance companies go to great lengths to repudiate claims where alcohol involvement is suspecte..... (IOL)

There have been a number of questions about the German Drager machine’s reliability since its introduction more than ten years ago.

Its use was suspended in Gauteng in 2010 after a forensic investigator tested the Drager on 37 people and found that the results varied enormously, even when testing the same person twice. Among his concerns were that the Drager was affected by ambient temperature, so the results would vary if it was a cold night or a hot afternoon.