Complaint Review: ALCOLOCK

Alcolock is a farce.

The LR device reads exogenous, airborne VOCs, in addition to endogenous alcohol.  The machine cannot discriminate between ingested ethanol and and errant whiff of windex, Chanel no.5, or hairspray.

In addition to being non ethanol specific, an inherent dissipation rate is necessary. That means the person must be held hostage long enough to prove, or disprove actual alcohol ingestion. If something endogenous  occurs, one is trapped for the duration of the event, and forced to provide alveolus air samples until said sample falls beneath set fail point of <.02%. 
Now, the caveat here is the small area between .000% BrAC and .02% BrAC. The specifications of the LR device advise a YELLOW CAUTION LIGHT be displayed to alert driver to the fact the machine detects alcohol.  The yellow light never comes on. Instead, a green light comes on, and the car is permitted to start, leading you to believe you've achieved a zero reading.  

It is in this moment you can be charged with a violation if you don't know you need to provide more air samples.  

This means, per contract signed by me, that you may be subject to a $50 violation reset fee by ALCOLOCK.

So the state, the public, and MADD think they're doing a great thing, and in theory it would be great...

But they have mislead the general public into believing science has created an ethanol specific device capable of immediate detection, and neither of those two things are true.

What's worse is the psychological impact of this device. It's an operant conditioning device that ultimately generates classical conditioning responses.  It can act as a paralytic agent in itself.  Through a series of beeps and clicks, it evokes terror.  With each new event, the fear, helplessness, and confusion are heightened.

The user becomes programmed in ways unthinkable. The device is adequately humiliating, as in my case I have on five separate occasions called police officers to the scene to administer their PBTs.  
PBTs are what people call breathalyzers, and contain a dual platinum fuel cell. PBTs given to law enforcement are much more accurate than what ALCOLOCK manufactures. So let's recap - the cops are given way more accurate devices (that, incidentally, require way fewer calibrations) and they're called "PBT"s.  That stands for Preliminary Breath Test, and it's simply a screening tool to aid law enforcement. It's not a DBT.  Definitive Breath Test.  Even the best BrAC technology is still preliminary.

This device is also a major traffic hazard. It's actually mandated distracted driving.  I read California has turned down proposals implementing ignition interlock twice now in the last few years, citing the instance of fatal crashes while using ignition interlock.

I, myself, had a crash while trying to retrieve the ALCOLOCK handset.  It was very low impact,  but still totalled the car.  Even though crash was not alcohol related, I was given no time served and had to restart the ALCOLOCK program.  They also charged me a reinstall fee.

I drive a 6 speed stick shift, so using this frightening handset is a major distraction and its very dangerous.

The ALCOLOCK LR device is scientifically baseless and in my opinion an abomination that traipses all over Virginians' civil liberties.

I have decided to dedicate myself to the ethical battleground that is ignition interlock and will not stop in my dogged pursuit for truth and justice.

My goal is to have each and every one of these ALCOLOCK devices removed from the citizens of my great state of Virginia, and my God given conscience will not rest until I so do.

Please rest a little easier knowing I'm picking up the sword and going to battle for those of you who cannot fight back and for those of you so confused, wronged, or dehumanized you don't know where to turn.  

So hold tight! But don't hold your breath, you might be violated! lol good luck & if you still haven't decided yet whether or not to use ALCOLOCK, my advice is go with Draeger.  They may use a totally different, Swedish technology. But what do I know?