Alcohol spray stops Oxford United's coach, due to detection of alcohol consumption

[yorkie]

An alcohol spray was used on the coach used by Oxford United, however the use of this spray inadvertently resulted in a false positive for the alcohol detection device, meaning the coach was incapacitated:

Oxford United's coach stalled by alcohol spray

Problems getting to an away game were down to a safety device on the club's bus, the head coach says.

www.bbc.co.uk

Alcohol spray used on a football club's coach to protect against coronavirus left the driver unable to take players and staff to an away match.

Oxford United had to change at their hotel and travel to their game at Accrington Stanley by car.

It is thought some of the spray in the air was picked up by a device that stops the coach driver starting the vehicle if alcohol has been consumed.

BBC Radio Oxford's Nathan Cooper said: "[Oxford have] got quite a technical bus that not many at this level have got.

"When you get on board it sprays a sort of alcohol gel - a fine mist spray - which obviously helps with the current situation, so it sterilises the bus. Somehow that ended up affecting the bus itself."

Does anyone know if this has occurred on any other vehicles? Is there a way round it?

 

[Flange Squeal]

I haven’t heard of it happening before, or commonly since lockdown. The most likely cases would be National Express, as any new vehicles over the last few years have had to have Alcolok breathalysers fitted. I can only assume this vehicle had some sort of spray dispenser fitted high up that dispenses into the air and droplets fell onto the breathalyser device, rather than a lower mounted alcohol gel type dispenser that dispenses directly onto your hands.

With many coaches, particularly I’d imagine those used by football teams, having Wi-Fi, I’m surprised there isn’t some sort of override available, even if it requires a connection to the office to authorise it. Certainly the Alcolok product does have internet connectivity to the office.

 

[OmniCity999]

An alcohol spray was used on the coach used by Oxford United, however the use of this spray inadvertently resulted in a false positive for the alcohol detection device, meaning the coach was incapacitated:

Oxford United's coach stalled by alcohol spray

Problems getting to an away game were down to a safety device on the club's bus, the head coach says.

www.bbc.co.uk

Does anyone know if this has occurred on any other vehicles? Is there a way round it?

A cause of the problem is clearly:

I haven’t heard of it happening before, or commonly since lockdown. The most likely cases would be National Express, as any new vehicles over the last few years have had to have Alcolok breathalysers fitted. I can only assume this vehicle had some sort of spray dispenser fitted high up that dispenses into the air and droplets fell onto the breathalyser device, rather than a lower mounted alcohol gel type dispenser that dispenses directly onto your hands.

With many coaches, particularly I’d imagine those used by football teams, having Wi-Fi, I’m surprised there isn’t some sort of override available, even if it requires a connection to the office to authorise it. Certainly the Alcolok product does have internet connectivity to the office.

A solution? Going forward, get some sort of cap for the device or even tape over the mouthpeice when its being fumigated/whenever its not being used for its intended purpose.

I agree though, there should be a software override. Especially in times of recovery or shunting etc.

 

[Boo_]

There a way to get round it by taking a fuse out of coach. well that what I was told at NX.

 

[Swanny200]

If it was an Irizar, I read yesterday that new models can have a system fitted where it can fumigate in essence the cabin, takes half an hour and needs nobody on board, I assume it is similar to the aircon bombs that we used to use at Arnold Clark when we got trade ins that we could still put on the forecourt, Irizar can retrofit it to older models too, I wonder if this was such a system.

Irizar are also developing a camera system similar to a face reader that can take a temperature and scan for symptoms before letting passengers on, again can be added to any bus/coach for any manufacturer.

 

[geoffk]

Sorry but what's the problem that the alcohol detection device is designed to address? The driver having been drinking, or the passengers?

 

[Swanny200]

Sorry but what's the problem that the alcohol detection device is designed to address? The driver having been drinking, or the passengers?

The driver with certain alcolock systems (not sure if it is the same on the coaches) is supposed to breathe into the device for it to come back negative and then allow the engine to start, however I would say that most of these systems that have been built to purge the cabin of any pollutants and Covid would be alcohol based so there would be traces on the alcolock system itself which would give a positive reading.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Having any sort of system that requires several different people to put their mouth on it seems "interesting" in the current climate!

 

[Cesarcollie]

Having any sort of system that requires several different people to put their mouth on it seems "interesting" in the current climate!

It has disposable mouthpieces- like any breathalyser

 

[Pat1105]

It has disposable mouthpieces- like any breathalyser

NX don’t. Drivers are issued with a reusable, plastic mouthpiece that clips into the top of the device. Much better really, as it saves money and waste at the end of the day.

 

[Boo_]

NX don’t. Drivers are issued with a reusable, plastic mouthpiece that clips into the top of the device. Much better really, as it saves money and waste at the end of the day.

I used t see drivers all the time not using the mouthpiece

 

[Lewlew]

NX don’t. Drivers are issued with a reusable, plastic mouthpiece that clips into the top of the device. Much better really, as it saves money and waste at the end of the day.

Different companies had different practices. When I was doing NX work I was issued with disposable one time only mouth pieces although we would often just keep the same one in our pocket for the whole day.