Being only 18, I’m new to both bikes and alcohol, so my dad got me one of these for Christmas: the AlcoSense Lite 2. He felt it was important for me to be careful about the ‘morning after’ when it came for me to head out on my Yamaha TW125 or TDR125 when I needed to head off to work as a trainee tree surgeon.
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I’ve basically been ‘schooled’ by my dad as to how important it is to be wary the next morning after even a few drinks. I started using this machine at the weekend when I was not heading into work, just to see what readings it gave, despite how I felt.
As background, the AlcoSense Lite 2 is the entry-level personal breathalyser in the range. It uses a semi-conductor alcohol sensor and it’s easy to use. I simply switch it on, wait for it to count down to zero and then blow through the supplied tube until it beeps. A few seconds later my alcohol reading will be shown on screen, along with an alert if I’m close to or over the limit.
To be honest, I was often shocked about what I saw. Many times when I got up around the time I would be heading to work, I felt just fine, but after using the machine I could see that I was just over the limit. It suddenly hit home: if I was breathalysed (the police breathalysers use the same semi-conductor, I’ve been told) then I would have lost my licence – and therefore my job. As a result I either don’t drink during the week or am VERY careful about when I stop or the units I consume. It’s been a real eye-opener.
With my Irish background, it’s handy that I can adjust it to their limits when I head over there this year – and I need to remember that these also need recalibrating every year, costing around £23. Still well worth it!
£44.99
