For Russian motorists, 2010 is probably associated with the indicator "0 ppm" - it is this concentration of alcohol vapors in the exhaled air that has become acceptable for those who are driving. Then sales of corvalol, kvass and other innocently fermented drinks fell, and breathalyzers became almost more popular than key rings. Drivers rightly feared punishment and reinsured themselves, exhaling "into a tube" before each trip. Today, the norm is 0.16 ppm, but useful devices continue to roll in many glove compartments.
A huge number of models that appeared on the market, including those from manufacturers of players / tablets / navigators, made you think seriously when choosing. The buyers were also embarrassed by the difference between the breathalyzer and the breathalyzer: the names of the trade units hinted that it was there, but no one could not only see it, but also have the least plausible invention.
It was believed that breathalyzers are devices intended for professional use, for example, at enterprises or by traffic police officers; breathalyzers, respectively, are used individually. This statement has no documentary basis, but it is still widespread.
In fact, breathalyzer and breathalyzer are the names of one device, which can really be professional, personal, and special. Perhaps the reason for this ambiguity was the hints of sellers about the capabilities of the device: some of them can simply test for the presence of alcohol vapors, some can measure their content with varying degrees of error.
Most models use either electrochemical sensors that respond to ethanol molecules, or infrared sensors that determine the degree of absorption of radiation by alcohol vapor. Any breathalyzer must have a safety certificate as a medical device and a certificate of metrological verification as a measuring device. Both professional and individual devices are calibrated at specific intervals for each type in order to avoid an increase in the reading error.
Two names for one simple gadget cause confusion in the definitions only in Russia. And in the USA, for example, such devices are called breathalyzers (literally "breath analyzer"). Some time ago it was reported that all car models will be equipped with them: the presence of alcohol vapors above a certain concentration will automatically block the ignition key. [eight].
