The Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) in collaboration with the Guyana Police Force (GPF) has commenced the first cohort of authentication of speed guns and breathalyser kits being used by ranks attached to Traffic departments countrywide.
This exercise is part of efforts to now routinely verify the accuracy of the readings taken from these pieces of equipment.
This is according to the Bureau’s Head of Legal Metrology, Shailandra Rai, who engaged journalists on Monday at a World Metrology Day event held at the Guyana Industrial Training Centre, Woolford Avenue, Georgetown.
Guyana Times understands that the validation of the instruments plays a crucial role in the prosecution of drivers caught speeding on roadways and or Driving Under the Influence (DUI), given that all results presented in courts will be credible.
Additionally, to ensure transparency and accountability, all corroborated speed guns and breathalyser machines are stamped with the GNBS approval stickers to let the general public know that the results produced by the instruments are accurate.
Ranks from the Georgetown traffic department conducting the speeding exercises
“I think it is very important because there are a lot of accidents a lot of them are primarily due to driving under the influence and that is the reason by the police department has been working in collaboration with the Bureau to address this particular concern because this is something the Bureau wasn’t offering like couple years ago,” the Head of Legal Metrology said.
According to Rai, accuracy is key when using a measuring instrument, hence all current speed guns, new guns that will be acquired, along with other equipment relating to policing in Guyana will be verified upon entry to the country.
It is recommended that the verification of these devices be conducted twice a year and this is based on the frequent use of the instruments.
Further, Rai disclosed that the Guyana National Bureau of Standards is currently building capacity to verify tint and sound level meters being used by police ranks. This he said is relatively new to the Bureau so training of personnel will be conducted before the procedure is implemented.
“As it is right now, I’m in the process of dealing with the acquisition of equipment so more likely it might be for next year. Just after we receive the equipment, we will have some training done and then we will be in a position to roll it out early next year.”
In 2021, The Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) procured the MultaRadar Equipment and Compact Device to the tune of $11 million and Breathalyser Test Bench to verify the speed guns used by Traffic Ranks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and test the alcohol levels of drivers and employees, respectively.
At the time, it was noted that the acquisition of the equipment followed several complaints that the Speed guns used by Police Officers on the roadways, may not be delivering accurate readings.
As a result, the verification equipment was also tested at the South Dakota Circuit to verify one of the speed guns used by the GPF.
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