Guys, you’re going to have to be super careful on the roads this weekend.

We told you about the new Evidential Breathalyser Alcohol Test (EBAT) system being implemented on SA’s roads in time for the Easter season.

As a rule, you shouldn’t be driving drunk. Uber exists so that you can have a drink without endangering your life and the lives of others.

If you do drive drunk you could be looking at up to a week in jail.

What we didn’t anticipate was this – a video doing the rounds that show the breathalyser system tricked into thinking someone is over the limit when all they did was eat a hot cross bun. Check it out:

That does not inspire confidence.

Here’s TimesLIVE with details:

City of Cape Town MMC for safety and security JP Smith said on Wednesday, after viewing the footage, that such a reading would most likely only apply immediately after eating (certain types of) food.

“The readings are probably correct. If you check 10 minutes later, the reading will probably be back to zero.

“That is why it is so dangerous to only rely on a machine and not do a proper sobriety test first,” Smith said.

Smith said that the main evidence used to determine whether someone is over the limit would rest on the arresting officer’s observations.

“The focus needs to be on impaired driving ability and not on an electronic reading.

“The training manuals for officers related to breathalysers teaches them this. If a false positive is obtained with such a device, then blood tests and other observations would be used as evidence as well,” added Smith.

Just to be clear – there is no alcohol in hot cross buns. The raisins are soaked in brandy, but it burns away during the baking process.

Mouth alcohol is a well-known complication for breathalyzer tests and can be easily avoided by not eating, smoking, or chewing on anything for 15 to 20 minutes before blowing into the breathalyzer.

This is why instruction manuals indicate that the tool should not be used on subjects for 15 to 20 minutes after they’ve eaten, and it is why law enforcement officers are required, in most jurisdictions, to repeat any tests yielding positive readings again after a 15- to 20-minute waiting period.”

Yeah, you should probably avoid taking hot cross buns along as a travel snack.

Be safe out there this weekend.

[source:timeslive]