ROAD TEST A MORNING AFTER BREATHALYSER HALFORDS ADVISES DRIVERS
Ahead of the Christmas party season Halfords is urging motorists who may be tempted into a festive tipple to carry a personal breathalyser and use it to ensure they are driving legally.
The UK drink drive limit is only 80 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood, so a small amount of alcohol can take drivers over the limit – risking a fine of up to £5,000, a minimum 12-month driving ban and a criminal record, in addition to the obvious danger to the safety of other road users.
Halfords product manager David Hammond said: “Despite high profile road safety campaigns highlighting the issue, many people still believe that a few hours of sleep will get rid of all of the alcohol in their system.
“Recognising that some drivers may innocently get behind the wheel the morning after an office Christmas party thinking they are fine, we are advising drivers to carry a personal breathalyser that can be used to check as a precaution.”
The effects of alcohol can be longer lasting than many people realise. Drinking 4 pints of medium strong beer** or 4 large glasses of wine** between 9pm and midnight, can take over 14 hours to leave the system.
David Hammond added: “Any amount of alcohol affects your ability to drive, so our advice is not to drink at all. However, since we are focussed on helping our customers stay safe on the roads, we stock breathalysers that enable them to check if their body has metabolised the alcohol they have consumed before they set out.”
Halfords stock AlcoSense’s award-winning, mobile phone-sized, personal breathalysers, which quickly and accurately tell the user whether the alcohol has passed from their system the morning after.
There are three re-useable models in the AlcoSense range that enable motorists to comply with UK road safety laws – the AlcoSense Elite (£59.99), AlcoSense Lite (£39.99) and AlcoSense ONE (£29.99). For more information about these products visit www.halfords.com
Ends
Media contacts:
Stuart Humphreys, Automotive PR Manager
T: 01527 513410, M: 07738 751930
E: stuart.humphreys@halfords.co.uk
Notes to editors
About Halfords Group plc
The Group is the UK's leading retailer of automotive, leisure and cycling products and through Halfords Autocentres also one of the UK's leading independent car servicing and repair operator. Halfords customers shop at 467 stores in the UK and Republic of Ireland and at halfords.com for pick-up at their local store or direct home delivery. Halfords Autocentres operates from over 295 sites nationally and offers motorists dealership-quality MOTs, repairs and car servicing at affordable prices.
Halfords employs approximately 12,000 colleagues and sells around 10,000 product lines in stores, increasing to around 30,000 lines online. The product offering encompasses significant ranges in car parts, cycles, in-car technology, child seats, roof boxes, outdoor leisure and camping equipment. Halfords own brands include Apollo and Carrera cycles, augmented by exclusive UK distribution rights for the premium-ranged Boardman cycles and accessories. Halfords offers customers expert advice and a fitting service called "wefit" for car parts, child seats, satellite navigation and in-car entertainment systems, and a "werepair" service for cycles.