Before the introduction of modern breathalyzers, detecting alcohol levels in drivers was a complicated process.
Origin of the Breathalyzer
The landscape changed in 1931 when Rolla Neil Harger, a professor at Indiana University’s School of Medicine, developed the first practical breath-testing device known as the “drunkometer.”
In a drunkometer, a motorist would blow into a balloon connected to a machine. The air would then be pumped through a solution that changed colour based on the presence of alcohol.
The greater the colour change, the higher the alcohol level.
It was a groundbreaking invention for law enforcement, which until then had to rely on behavioural assessments to judge intoxication.
Harger’s device laid the foundation for scientific measurements of blood alcohol content (BAC), revolutionising road safety.
The Modern Device
The drunkometer was followed by the invention of the “Breathalyzer” in the 1950s by Robert Frank Borkenstein, another Indiana native.
The Breathalyzer was easier to use, portable, and faster, making it a preferred tool for police.
Fast-forward to today, and breathalyzers have become advanced, using infrared and electrochemical technologies to deliver precise BAC readings.
Yet, it all started with Harger's vision and the drunkometer; a quirky machine that brought science into the field of road safety and forever changed public safety protocols.
This article was written by our quizmaster Surya Narayanan.
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