Skip to main content

ACS debuts Alcolock V3 alcohol ignition interlock device

Making its ITS World Congress debut is Canadian company ACS – Alcohol Countermeasure System – with its Alcolock V3 alcohol ignition interlock The device has been around since 2008 and requires drivers to breath into the device before setting off on a journey. If the driver’s breath contains alcohol, the engine ignition system will not work. (Residual amounts of alcohol, such as those found in some mouthwashes, are allowable.) It has been mandatory for Alcolock to be fitted to public vehicles in Sweden such
October 23, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
Richard W Thomas using the Alcolock V3 device
Making its ITS World Congress debut is Canadian company ACS – 6777 Alcohol Countermeasure Systems – with its Alcolock V3 alcohol ignition interlock.

The device has been around since 2008 and requires drivers to breathe into the device before setting off on a journey. If the driver’s breath contains alcohol, the engine ignition system will not work. (Residual amounts of alcohol, such as those found in some mouthwashes, are allowable.)

It has been mandatory for Alcolock to be fitted to public vehicles in Sweden such as buses and taxis and it will become mandatory in school buses in France next year. It is also used in several marques of HGV. To prevent the system being intrusive in vehicles that stop frequently throughout their daily use, the device can be programmed to operate as few or as many times as the operator wishes.

The device does have an emergency override facility, but if the driver uses it, the event is automatically transmitted to the vehicle’s owner or operator.

Although ACS has attended bus and car shows in the past, this is the first time it has attended ITS; its attendance came about after the Canadian embassy in Vienna asked ACS if it was aware of the World Congress.

Additionally, the Austrian transport ministry has asked ACS to compete for a trial of 100 alcohol ignition interlocks in the country.

According to Richard Thomas, the company’s international affairs director, interest has been high, with promotional literature rapidly disappearing off the company’s stand on the opening morning of the show.

%$Linker: 2 Asset <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 4 77352 0 oLinkExternal www.acs-corp.com www.acs-corp.com false /EasySiteWeb/GatewayLink.aspx?alId=77352 true false%>

Related Content

  • September 7, 2014
    MDOT recreates its traffic management center at 2014 ITS World Congress
    The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has recreated its Southeast Michigan Traffic Management Center (Booth: 2027) at 2014 ITS World Congress. The center is recognised as one of the most innovative TMCs in the U.S., having to deal with a complex multi-modal transportation network on the border of Canada.
  • March 28, 2013
    Delcan to focus on cutting-edge ITS products
    Delcan will use the ITS America Annual Meeting to focus on its cutting-edge ITS products, including the company’s state-of-the-art Advanced Transportation Management System (ATMS) software called Intelligent Networks. This off the shelf software application is designed to assist in the collection, dissemination and management of transportation systems and information. It has a scalable architecture, which can be customized to meet unique operational environments and be adapted for small and large scale ITS
  • October 18, 2012
    UK's TRL shows latest transport developments
    UK-headquartered TRL (Transport Research Laboratory) will focus on three key areas at the ITS World Congress: adaptive traffic control and new software releases; its expertise in managed motorways and cooperative systems; and its growing presence and work across the EU. This is exemplified by TRL taking the premier position on the EU Safety Framework and its in-depth knowledge of vehicle road charging, which sees a team currently working on a European truck road charging scheme.
  • September 8, 2014
    Siemens adds to portfolio of ITS technologies
    This morning Siemens is using the ITS World Congress for the launch of three important new additions to its portfolio of intelligent traffic systems that will power our cities today and in the future.