Drink Driving Alcohol Tags
Alcohol monitoring tags or 'transdermal alcohol monitoring devices' can be imposed by the court if you are convicted or plead guilty to a drink driving offence. The device is attached to your body, usually your ankle and can remain in place for up to 120 days. Within this time, the device will monitor your sweat for alcohol every 30 minutes and if triggered, will alert the police to a breach of your community penalty. You could then be arrested and taken to court where you would face immediate custody. These devices are single-source admissible, meaning no secondary test results are required to validate results (such as a blood test). A written report can be provided to the court confirming the violation as well as an in-person expert testimony for evidentiary hearings. Alcohol monitoring tags are normally zero-tolerance and will detect alcohol in a single pint of beer.
These devices can also be portable (such as a handheld breathalyser). There is a breathalyser that can be used to monitor alcohol which the court can impose. You would need to use this up to 5 times per day and if results or above a limit, you could be arrested within minutes. If the court are satisfied that a breach has occurred, they might:
- Impose a fine
- Extend the length of the order
- Impose a custodial sentence
According the the Institute of Alcohol Studies, the use of alcohol monitoring devices is provided for in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012. The court can impose the ankle tag if imposing a community order or a suspended sentence. The device can be fitted to someone convicted of drink driving for up to 120 days.
Optional House Arrest
With the flick of a switch officers can add an optional curfew monitoring feature to the alcohol testing device. This government security-grade feature enables the police to track the location of an offender within seconds from their high-security communications control centre.
Of course, this feature should not be enabled unless the court impose a curfew as part of the community penalty. One concern often voiced by commentators is the risk that this location feature will be abused by law enforcement trying to pinpoint the location of suspects.
When Can Alcohol Monitoring Devices Be Used?
Transdermal Alcohol Monitoring devices are becoming very common in some of the more serious drink driving cases we deal with. There are two authorised providers of the device - SCRAM Systems and If your breath reading is high, it is more likely that the court will have no other option to consider a community order. If you are given a community order by the court, there is a very high chance they will consider an alcohol monitoring device. Many people who are convicted of drink driving who were also involved in serious road traffic collisions are more likely to be subject to an order requiring them wear an alcohol monitoring device.
Another consideration the court will take into account is whether you are considered a High Risk Offender. A person is automatically categorised as a High Risk Offender if they provide a breath reading of 87.5 microgrammes and above. Anyone convicted of and banned from driving for Failing to Provide a Specimen For Analysis will also be considered a High Risk Offender. Find out whether you are a considered a High Risk Offender by clicking here.
"Hardcore" Drunk Drivers
The Foundation For Advancing Alcohol Responsibility have coined the above term 'Hardcore Drunk Drivers' as the most high risk offenders when it comes to drink driving. This could be repeat offenders. So, you could be a hardcore drunk driver if you have a previous conviction for drink driving! This term also covers people with a higher breath reading. Road safety concerns increase the higher the breath reading.
You may not have read our page on High Risk Offenders. Here we explain the circumstances in which the court will label you a high risk offender and how this might impact your sentence. You should also be aware of the DVLA's involvement in your case and the requirement to complete a mandatory medical before your driving licence is given back to you.
How Do Alcohol Monitoring Devices Work?
The court will impose the order as part of the punishment. This is will be in addition to any driving disqualification you receive. Arrangements will be made for a team to attend your home address to install the technology within your home. The equipment (a transmitter) does not require a network connection and will alert the police immediately if it all tampered with. Once installed, the SCRAM bracelet will then be attached to your ankle. When someone drinks alcohol, much of it is absorbed and metabolized in the body, but about 4% of it is excreted through the lungs and kidneys, and 1% through the skin in the form of insensible perspiration. The device tests that insensible perspiration using an electrochemical fuel cell by sampling the wearer’s sweat every 30 minutes.
Can I still drink alcohol with an alcohol monitoring tag?
The short answer is no. Most community orders require complete abstinence, meaning you cannot drink at all whilst on tag. The devices work by measuring blood alcohol content (BAC) through particles in your sweat. Take a look at the graph below from the official SCRAM website.
The data shows the subject start drinking alcohol at 6pm. Almost immediately the tag intelligently detects alcohol in the subject's sweat. This alerts the control centre who will notify the court. The police would normally turn up within 24 hours of the breach.
How Accurate Are Alcohol Monitoring Tags?
The devices monitor every 30 minutes, 24/7. There is a team of people reviewing the data the device produces. They are effectively fool-proof as they are constantly monitoring the wearer's sweat.
What are SCRAM Bracelets?
Like a breathalyzer for the ankle, the SCRAM Continuous Alcohol Monitoring (SCRAM CAM) tag provides 24/7 transdermal alcohol testing for wearers. By automatically sampling the subject’s perspiration every 30 minutes, the tag eliminates testing gaps and encourages accountability. SCRAM CAM not only supports sobriety but also results in higher compliance rates with sobriety orders and increases community safety.
Can You Use Data From The Devices in Court?
SCRAM CAM test results are single-source admissible, meaning no secondary tests are required to validate results. We back our technology in court and provide everything from a written report confirming a violation to in-person expert testimony for evidentiary hearings.
Next Steps
If you are worried about being sentenced to a period of sobriety, contact us now for free initial advice.
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