6th Street bars add breathalyzers

AUSTIN (KXAN) - A few Austin bars is adding a new and innovative way to get people thinking about drinking and driving.

Breathalyzer machines have been installed in nearly two-dozen bars around 6th Street.

Recess Arcade Bar on 6th Street said their customer have fun with it and love the idea.

"You see people line up to check themselves," said Josh Schneros of Recess Arcade Bar. "We use this as an entertainment forum to explain to them to reevaluate their thought process."

Schneros said most people have fun with it, laughing, taking pictures and seeing who has had a little too much to drink.

While it is just for entertainment purposes only, the breathalyzer uses the same technology as many police departments, giving accurate readings.

We caught Rick McMinn starting his weekend a little early and asked him to blow after a few drinks.

His first attempt left a reading of .05, flashing a cautious symbol on the screen.

Three shots and a couple of more drinks, Rick's reading was .14.

The screen sounded sirens and flashed "danger".

Don't worry, Rick's brother picked him up from the bar to take him home.

Recess Arcade Bar said not all bars are open to the idea, but they think its a great way to get people thinking when they might have had too much to drink.

Bar Partners is the company behind this bar breathalyzer concept.

They tell us over the past year they have installed twenty machines in Austin, five in Houston and one in Dallas.
   
Each machine is installed free of cost to bars, but profits from the machines are split 50-50.

It cost $1 cash to use and a $1.50 for debit cards.

Since the breathalyzer is not in a "controlled environment" any reading given is not valid in court.