Drivers warned not to take a punt on breath testers

Sales of personal breathalysers have soared ahead of Monday's tough new drink-drive limits - but police warn people against trusting the devices.

Breathalysers start at less than $10 and are widely available on the internet but top models can cost as much as nearly $450.

However, a senior police officer warns motorists to be wary, saying personal devices are not calibrated.

"They're not certified. If you're relying on those things, you're really taking a punt and it's not a very good punt," Bay of Plenty road policing manager Inspector Kevin Taylor told the Bay of Plenty Times Weekend.

Western Bay's head of road policing, Senior Sergeant Ian Campion, said people need to follow two golden rules.

"If you have a drink, don't drive. And if you're going to drive, don't drink."

The new drink-driving limits are 250mcg of alcohol per litre of breath for drivers aged 20 and above (down from 400mcg) or 50mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood for drivers aged 20 and above (down from 80mg). The limit remains at zero for drivers under 20.

Sober Check, which supplies breathalysers to workplaces, hospitals and addiction centres, as well as selling calibrated personal breathalysers, reports sales of personal breathalysers have increased 500 per cent this month compared with last November - and the company is looking at doing a GrabOne deal in mid-December.

The company's Gavin Foster also warns against cheap devices, saying some are marketed as being able to be calibrated but they do not meet international standards.

"We calibrate at a set point and we calibrate to an accuracy of plus or minus 5 per cent. If they're outside that range, we don't send them out."

Sober Check's "entry level" personal breathalyser costs $179 and the company recommends a more sophisticated model costing $448.

Sober Check's workplace breathalysers start at about $1000 and Mr Foster said there was an insurance policy for any company that has Friday night drinks or Christmas functions on its premises.

"The onus is a lot more on the company, especially if people are driving out the gate in company vehicles.

"If they have an accident, the comeback is directly on the company because that's the place where they were last drinking."

Government agency WorkSafe says employers have obligations under the Health and Safety in Employment Act when it comes to alcohol.

"The serving of alcohol always comes with the responsibility for safe consumption," a spokesman said.

Bay taxi companies, meanwhile, are taking a wait-and-see approach to the lowering of the alcohol limit.

Most say they have extra vehicles and staff rostered on for December, and will add more if they see a sudden rush after Monday.

Ring a Diala Driver owner Dianne Hopkins said: "It's a hit-and-miss thing ... We're always prepared for Christmas. It always gets busy.

"It could increase or it might not."

She said older customers tend to organise alternative transport when drinking, but "the younger ones are just chancing it and they know what time the police go home".

Police said with the new drink-driving laws coming into effect host responsibility was a concept everyone needed to embrace.