Smartphone Breathalyzer Apps Reviewed As DUI Crackdown Begins in Pa.

Law enforcement across Pennsylvania announced this week that they’ll be increasing DUI enforcement through New Year’s Day as part of a multi-million dollar federal campaign.

The legal limit in Pennsylvania is 0.08 and police across the state say they’ll be enforcing the law rigorously this holiday season through increased sobriety checkpoints, roving patrols and regular traffic safety patrols.

While no one should ever drive impaired, more and more consumer breathalyzers are entering the market — including ones you can use on your smartphone. The apps, which require an attachable nozzle, were recently tested alongside law enforcement by New York Times reporter Jennifer Jolly.

In an attempt to see if these apps are accurate in determining if a driver has had too much alcohol to get behind the wheel, Jolly compared four smartphone breathalyzers with the official device used by California Highway Patrol.

An officer with the California Highway Patrol conducted the test with her.

According to the analysis, which included Jolly drinking incremental amounts of alcohol over several hours and testing intermittently, only one app was as accurate as the police-grade model. The conclusion of the analysis was not surprising — you shouldn’t rely on your smartphone to tell you if you should drive.

As reiterated by the California Highway Patrol officer during the test, “You shouldn’t drive if you’ve been drinking, period.”

So when you’re leaving that holiday party this year, don’t pull out that smartphone to see if you’ve had one too many. Your life, and the lives of others, could be on the line. Last year in Pennsylvania, there were 4,184 crashes and 41 fatalities statewide during the Christmas and New Year travel periods, police said.