Police short of breath analysers

KOCHI: Though officials claim that the fall in the number of drunk driving cases is due to the strict action taken by them, another side of the picture is that there is a severe shortage of breath analysers.And, those used now are outdated and often give wrong readings.The Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) has four breath analysers and six squads for checking, but only one equipment.The rest are outdated.There are instances where the breath analyser had mistakenly shown a sober person as inebriated.“In such instances, we take the people to nearby hospitals for blood test.What we use now is a German-made breath analyser,” said T J Thomas, Regional Transport Officer.Officials said the breath analyser used by the police is also an outdated one.According to a senior police official, there is no dearth of breath analysers with the Police Department.“Each station is provided with one or two analysers.But most of them are outdated and the possibilities of getting a wrong reading is higher.The MVD has come up with new norms regarding the quality of the equipment used in the state,” a police official said.