BACtrack: Are YOU Safe to Drive?

Have you ever been out to dinner or to a party where you had a few drinks and wondered if you were safe to drive?  Or perhaps wondered if your husband or friend were safe to drive?  You probably are safe…right?

The risk is far too great to hope that you are safe to drive.  Especially with kids who count on you, it’s best to be sure.  But how can you know for sure?

BACtrack is a device I discovered at the Consumer Electronics Show that gives you your alcohol count after you breathe into it.  It’s small, rechargeable, and can be kept in your car’s glove compartment.  BACtrack syncs with your smartphone/tablet and will send results to your BACtrack app once the app has advised you to stop breathing into the BACtrack device.  We liked it so much we also mentioned it as one of our top gifts this year in our Dads, Grads, & Cool Do-Dads list.

What BACtrack Can Do

Not only will BACtrack tell you what your alcohol content score is (.08 + is considered illegal if driving), but it also tells you how long it will take till your likely legal as well as the risks of being impaired, due to the blood alcohol content you show.

Features Include:

• Uses a Xtend™ Fuel Cell Sensor – the gold standard for police officers who test people possibly driving under the influence
• Keeps a history of your results, even allowing you to take a picture and journal what you were doing or drinking during the last result
• The battery is rechargeable, you can even recharge it in your car, so it’s always ready to go
• The app shows your score with graphs and lots of extra information to help you better understand how drinking impairs your ability
• It gives you the ability to share your results privately with select people, publicly on Facebook, or anonymously and in real time on the BACtrack WorldView to compare result information with others who shared theirs

Pros:

• BACtrack is a must have, especially for new drinkers…like underage teenagers and those in their early twenties, who have no idea what amount of alcohol results in 0.08% BAC.  Yes, we’ve told our kids not to drink if they are underage, but a good of kids number will anyways.  BACtrack can help kids understand the affects of alcohol and how impaired they are
• BACtrack provides a history so you can see any patterns you might have to educate yourself on how your body results to alcohol
• Love the rechargeable battery – can easily charge BACtrack in the car

Cons:

• Other than the fact that BACtrack is a little pricey, we could not find any disadvantages of BACtrack.

Not all mobile devices will work with the BACtrack app, as they need to utilize Bluetooth 4.0 LE in order to sync.  Phones included are

• iPhone 4S, 5, 5C, 5S,
• iPad 3 and 4, iPad Air, iPad Mini 1 and 2,
• iPod Touch 5
• Samsung Galaxy S3, S4
• Other Android 4.3 smart devices equipped with Bluetooth 4.0 LE (Bluetooth Smart)

How Many Drinks Does it Take to Reach 0.08 %BAC?

.008% Blood Alcohol Content (BAC), the illegal limit to drive in most states, can be reached more quickly than you realize, whether you are a casual drinker or one who drinks often.  Alcohol effects everyone differently.  If you’re BAC is 0.08% or more, you can be arrested for driving under the influence (DUI).

So how many drinks will get you to this limit?  The truth of the matter is, you should never drink and drive, even if you’ve only had one drink.  Alcohol effects people differently, and as we age, your body may not react like it did when you were younger.

BACtrack is helpful in educating people about drinking.  Casual drinkers are in just as much jeopardy, if not more, than those who drink often.  Casual drinkers may feel they are OK, when in essence, they’ve had too much.

My husband and I recently had a dinner party with 2 other couples that we don’t get to see very often.  One brought several bottles of wine, the other brought some cinnamon spiced tequila.  My husband and I enjoy wine and drinks every once in awhile, but we are not big drinkers.

At the end of the night, it was apparent that three out of four of our guests had one too many drinks.  In fact, one was already sleeping on our couch.  I figured, it was a good time to bring out the BACtrack and let everyone test themselves.  They all thought it was a fun activity and everyone, who was awake, joined in.  The husband of the wife who was sleeping came in at .19, more than twice the illegal driving limit.  The other couple came in at .05 for the husband and .12 for the wife.

What was interesting was the wife told us she felt OK and was surprised by her result.  In fact, when she and her husband are out and about, she usually drives home because she feels like she’s in good shape.  Yikes!  I’m hoping she’ll think twice next time.

My husband and I came in well below the legal limit of .08.  Based on these numbers, we waited longer until the husband with the .05 reading level came down and he drove the other couple home.

I have to say, I was so grateful that I had the BACtrack breathalyzer with me.  It could have very well saved a life or two that night.  I can definitely see the benefit of keeping the BACtrack in my home to double check guests that may have had too much to drink.  Although this is the first time that’s happened, I feel it’s our responsibility to ensure our guests are safe to try.

Yes, you could say this method is invasive, but what I found was that the BACtrack is such a novelty, that everyone wanted to try it out.  And after they did, I read the educational message about what condition of impairment they are likely to have.  Fortunately, our friends were very receptive and had no problems not driving home.

BACtrack Vio

Having a BACtrack in your car is helpful to ensure you are at a safe driving limit before you get in your car.  But sometimes, it’s even handier to know your alcohol level BEFORE you leave a party or someone’s house.  To make it easier, BACtrack created  Vio, a smaller keychain smartphone breathalyzer that you can keep with you…or with your teenager.  What’s interesting about the BACtrack Vio is that it uses a triple A battery, so the battery is less likely to run out when you absolutely need it.  With the larger BACtrack, you can’t use it unless you charged it first.

My children are a little young yet, but once they get close to the driving age, I would have them place the Vio on their keychains.  I’m less worried about my children driving and drinking than I am their friends.  I want my kids to make an informed choice as to whether it’s safe to get in the car with a friend who has been drinking.  Can my child get the drinking friend to take the test?  Perhaps not, but that’s a sign for them to call us to pick them up instead.

The BACtrack sells for $98.99 with free shipping at Amazon. The BACtrack Vio sells for $51.49 at Amazon with free shipping as well.

A Mom’s Perspective

One drink is enough to alter your mental status.  If you really knew how easily you can reach 0.08 BAC, you wouldn’t drive…nor should you.  After one drink, you should hand the keys over to a designated driver.  The risk is just too great.  If you go out to dinner with your spouse and you share a bottle of wine, go for a walk afterwards and allow time to bring your blood alcohol content down.  You owe it to yourself, your spouse,  your children, and to other drivers to ensure you make it home safely.

If you have a child in high school who goes to parties a lot, or a child away at college, consider buying them a BACtrack Vio.  They may not need it for themselves, but should not take a ride with someone who has a high blood alcohol rate or refuses to take the test.

BACtrack can give you some peace of mind that at least your child has a tool to make a better assessment of a situation.  They can also use it to help friends realize that they are drinking too much and get them home safely.

And with Holiday parties coming up soon on the horizon, the BACtrack is just the item you need to keep you safe this party-filled season.

*  I was given a BACtrack & Vio device to test and try out.  All opinions are my own based on my own experiences.