EN 50436

EN 50436 denotes European standards for alcohol ignition locks ( synonym alcohol interlock ).

An alcohol interlock is a system consisting of a breath alcohol measuring device and an immobilizer that can be easily installed in motor vehicles such as passenger cars, buses, taxis, hazardous goods vehicles, trucks, trams, trains, motorcycles, boats or snowmobiles. Before the vehicle engine can be started or the vehicle can be moved, a breath sample must be delivered into the alcohol interlock, which is usually done through a mouthpiece. As soon as the breath alcohol has been determined , the alcohol interlock prevents the driver from starting the engine if their alcohol concentration is above a predetermined limit value. This limit value can be set to the legally defined limit value of the respective country or below.

An alcohol interlock consists of two essential components: the breath alcohol measuring device with the measuring system and a mouthpiece, which is located in the interior of the vehicle, as well as the control unit, which is usually installed under the dashboard and activates the power supply to the vehicle's starter relay or blocked.

There are several areas of application in which alcohol interlocks can be used:

• built into a vehicle as a general preventive measure to increase traffic safety, on a voluntary basis or required by law in certain vehicles (e.g. vehicles for transporting children), or
• in vehicles for which they have been ordered by a court or an administrative authority as part of a program for alcohol-related drivers, or
• for people participating in a medical or rehabilitation program.

Series of standards EN 50436

The series of European standards EN 50436 “Alcohol interlocks - test methods and requirements for operating behavior” has been created by the BTTF 116-2 “Alcohol Interlocks” committee of the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC) since 2003 . The members were nominated by the national standardization organizations from numerous European countries. They represent ministries, road traffic authorities, traffic safety organizations, trade unions, test laboratories and manufacturers of alcohol interlocks and motor vehicles. The secretariat of the committee is organized by the German Commission for Electrical, Electronic and Information Technologies (DKE).

Under the chairmanship of Johannes Lagois and, since 2016, Stefan Morley, the committee has developed the EN 50436 series of European standards, the fulfillment of which is now required in the laws and regulations of several European countries as a technical requirement for the use of alcohol interlocks.

The EN 50436 series specifies the test procedures and essential requirements for operational behavior for alcohol interlocks and provides authorities, decision-makers, buyers and users with guidelines. It also describes the requirements for motor vehicles for the installation of alcohol interlocks.

The standards can be purchased from the national standardization organizations that are members of CENELEC in the three language versions German, English and French.

EN 50436-1

"EN 50436-1: Alcohol interlocks - Test methods and requirements for operating behavior - Part 1: Devices for programs with drunk drivers"

• 1st edition: November 2005
• Corrigendum to the 1st edition: June 2009 (French title changed)
• 2nd edition: January 2014

This European Standard specifies test methods and performance requirements for breath alcohol-controlled alcohol interlocks. It covers alcohol interlocks intended as probation for use in programs for drunk driving as well as programs that are similarly monitored or supervised.

This European Standard also applies to alcohol interlocks that are integrated into other control systems of the vehicle, as well as to additional devices connected to the alcohol interlock.

With its technical details, this European Standard is primarily aimed at testing laboratories and manufacturers of alcohol interlocks. It specifies requirements and test methods for type testing.

The essential, very extensive tests and requirements described in this standard include:

• Measurement accuracy of alcohol concentration,
• Environmental tests with different ambient temperatures and ambient humidity,
• Check of the time until operational readiness,
• Durability tests with swing and fall,
• Measures against circumvention and manipulation,
• Influence of exhaled gases other than alcohol,
• Long-term behavior,
• electrical tests for supply voltage and durability in the event of a short circuit,
• electromagnetic compatibility and electrical interference,
• Contents of the installation and operating instructions.

The 2nd edition has been fundamentally revised compared to the 1st edition, the scope of the tests significantly expanded and the requirements tightened.

The 2nd edition now also includes additional devices for the alcohol interlock, which are approved by the manufacturer as part of the alcohol interlock system and which are intended for use in the vehicle during operation. These are, for example, cameras or GPS systems that generate data related to the event data of the alcohol interlock, as well as additional devices that handle or transmit data for programs with drunk drivers.

The content and requirements are based on the experience and needs of drunk driving programs in different countries over several decades. Therefore, alcohol interlocks used in programs with drunk driving should be tested according to this European Standard and meet its requirements.

EN 50436-2

"EN 50436-2: Alcohol interlocks - Test methods and requirements for operating behavior - Part 2: Devices with a mouthpiece for measuring breath alcohol for general preventive use"

• 1st edition: December 2007
• Corrigendum to the 1st edition: June 2009 (French title changed)
• 2nd edition: January 2014
• Amendment A1 to the 2nd edition: March 2015

This European Standard specifies test methods and requirements for the operating behavior for breath alcohol-controlled alcohol interlocks which are intended for general preventive use.

This European Standard also applies to alcohol interlocks that are integrated into other control systems of the vehicle, as well as to additional devices connected to the alcohol interlock.

With its technical details, this European Standard is primarily aimed at testing laboratories and manufacturers of alcohol interlocks. It specifies requirements and test methods for type testing.

The 2nd edition has been fundamentally revised compared to the 1st edition, the scope of the tests expanded and the requirements tightened. In the 2nd edition of EN 50436-2, EN 50436-1 is the basic standard and the text of Part 2 only describes the differences in the requirements compared to Part 1.

The main differences in the tests and requirements of Part 2 compared to Part 1 are the following:

• the required temperature range in which the alcohol interlock must function and measure properly is −20 ° C to 70 ° C (instead of −40 ° C to 85 ° C);
• the requirement for measuring accuracy at high alcohol concentrations (from 0.75 mg / l) is reduced;
• the equipment with a data memory is optional.

Amendment A1 specifies more precisely which connectable additional devices of the alcohol interlock must be checked than in the original 2nd edition.

EN 50436-3

"EN 50436-3: Alcohol interlocks - Test methods and requirements for operational behavior - Part 3: Guidelines for authorities, decision-makers, buyers and users"

• 1st edition: July 2010, published as Technical Report CLC / TR 50436-3
• 2nd edition: December 2016

This guide for authorities, governments, policy makers, transport companies, buyers, unions and users contains numerous recommendations for people interested in the use of alcohol interlocks. However, it is not mandatory and does not contain any requirements.

The purpose of this guide in the series of European standards on alcohol interlocks is to provide practical guidance on the selection, installation, use and maintenance of alcohol interlocks. It is aimed at all those who are interested in alcohol interlocks, companies that sell and install alcohol interlocks, as well as buyers and users in commercial, professional and private use. The European Standard provides detailed information on the alcohol interlock and how to use this device.

This European Standard describes alcohol interlocks for use in vehicles as a general preventive measure for road safety and for use in programs for drunk drivers. However, the information provided can also be useful for alcohol interlocks in other applications.

The 2nd edition has been fundamentally revised compared to the 1st edition. In addition to the use of alcohol interlocks as a preventive measure, the application in programs for drivers who have committed alcohol abuse is also discussed in more detail, for example by describing the basic steps of such a program. The 2nd edition also contains a compilation of typical parameter settings for the devices.

EN 50436-4

"EN 50436-4: Alcohol interlocks - Test methods and requirements for operating behavior - Part 4: Connection between the alcohol interlock and the vehicle"

• 1st edition: March 2007 published as draft prEN 50436-4, project stopped afterwards
• New draft in preparation: since October 2014

This European Standard specifies the standardized connection between an alcohol interlock and the vehicle for retrofitting. It describes the type of connector, the definition of the connector assignment and the digital information that is exchanged between the vehicle and the alcohol interlock via a LIN data bus.

This European Standard is applicable both to alcohol interlocks for programs with drunk driving (as in EN 50436-1) and to alcohol interlocks for general preventive use (as in EN 50436-2).

This European Standard is aimed primarily at vehicle manufacturers and manufacturers of alcohol interlocks.

The first edition published as a draft was based on the state of the art at the time. However, as it became apparent that a data bus interface would be the much better solution in the future, the project was initially stopped. In 2014 it resumed along with the development of Part 7. Part 4 will then describe the details of such a data interface.

EN 50436-5

"EN 50436-5: Alcohol interlocks - Test methods and requirements for operating behavior - Part 5: Devices for measuring breath alcohol for general preventive use which do not have a mouthpiece and which compensate with the help of a carbon dioxide measurement"

• No draft published, project stopped

This European Standard should specify additional test methods and performance requirements for alcohol interlocks that do not require the use of an (interchangeable) mouthpiece.

With such a device, the driver has to blow against a sampling area on the surface of the alcohol interlock. However, the air you breathe (possibly containing alcohol) is diluted by mixing it with ambient air. To determine the actual breath alcohol concentration, methods to compensate for the dilution are necessary. The dilution can be determined, for example, by simultaneously measuring the carbon dioxide concentration.

In the course of the discussion of the draft European standard, however, it emerged that the content of carbon dioxide in the exhaled air can fluctuate so strongly depending on the physiological conditions of the driver that a determination of the breath alcohol concentration with that required for use in an alcohol interlock Accuracy is not possible with the techniques currently available. Therefore the project was stopped.

EN 50436-6

"EN 50436-6: Alcohol interlocks - Test methods and requirements for operational behavior - Part 6: Data security"

• 1st edition: March 2015

This European Standard specifies additional safety requirements for the protection and handling of event data which are recorded in the data memory of alcohol interlocks and which can be read out, processed and transmitted to supervisory persons or organizations.

Optional additional devices of the alcohol interlock (e.g. cameras or GPS systems) that generate data related to event data of the alcohol interlock, as well as additional devices that handle or transmit data for a program with drunk drivers, are also covered by this standard .

This European Standard is a supplement to EN 50436-1 and EN 50436-2. The competent authority or a vehicle fleet operator must decide whether the standard must be applied in addition to EN 50436-1 or EN 50436-2.

This European Standard is aimed primarily at testing laboratories, manufacturers of alcohol interlocks, legislative authorities and organizations that handle and use the alcohol interlock event data.

The standard was developed on the basis of the Dutch "Protection Profile" for alcohol interlocks, which is listed under the " Common Criteria for Information Technology Security Evaluation ".

EN 50436-7

"EN 50436-7: Alcohol interlocks - Test methods and requirements for operational behavior - Part 7: Installation document"

• 1st edition: December 2016

Alcohol interlocks are often intended for retrofitting. For this purpose, they are connected to the electrical circuits and the control circuits of the vehicle. This installation of an alcohol interlock should not have a disruptive effect on the proper operating behavior of the vehicle, should not impair the operational safety and security of the vehicle, and should be able to be carried out as simply and quickly as possible. In addition, the installation cost should be low compared to the total cost of the alcohol interlock.

It is therefore desirable to have a standardized installation document created by the vehicle manufacturer available in order to make the necessary details available to the fitters installing an alcohol interlock in a specific vehicle model.

This European Standard specifies the content and layout of such an installation document. It describes in detail the vehicle type, schematic representations for connection, instructions for accessibility and recommendations for avoiding safety risks.

This European Standard is applicable both to alcohol interlocks for programs with drunk driving (as in EN 50436-1) and to alcohol interlocks for general preventive use (as in EN 50436-2).

This European Standard is aimed primarily at vehicle manufacturers and manufacturers of alcohol interlocks.

The technical requirements listed in EN 50436-7 reflect the requirements that are specified by other parts of the series of standards or the standards cited there. In order to meet the requirements according to EN 50436-7, the document as such must meet the requirements of the standard and obviously the required functionalities must also be available. The main requirements are listed in Table C.1, in which three basic installation options are named. It is mandatory for vehicle manufacturers to provide at least one of these options in order to comply with EN 50436-4.

1. The first of these options is the classic or traditional way of installing an alcohol interlock. To do this, the voltage supply between the vehicle's ignition lock and the starter is interrupted. The alcohol interlock is inserted in the form of a relay in the interrupted starter circuit in order to enable or block the power supply to the vehicle's starter relay.
2. The second option is the semi-digital connection, in which the vehicle is connected to the alcohol interlock by means of fixed signal lines, which are installed in the vehicle for this purpose and thus avoid the interruption of vehicle (starter) lines.
3. Finally, EN 50436-7 also provides for a digital interface. This represents the connection to an internal data bus of the vehicle in order to exchange information between the vehicle and the alcohol interlock. EN 50436-7 indicates such a digital interface, which is standardized in the fourth part of the series, i.e. EN 50436-4. This part of the series was first published in February 2019 and is currently being expanded to include the CAN bus in addition to the LIN bus.

The prescribed values ​​listed in Table C.1, specifically those for current and voltage, reflect the minimum requirements for alcohol interlocks in accordance with EN 50436-1 and are therefore binding for traditional and semi-digital installation. In cases in which installation using EN 50436-4 is selected, the current and voltage requirements from EN 50436-4 apply, because in this case both sides of the interface, the vehicle and the alcohol interlock, according to EN 50436- 4 must be certified.

It must be mentioned here that the use of EN 50436-4 is not prescribed by EN 50436-7. In principle, this would enable other, proprietary solutions from automobile manufacturers. Proprietary solutions must obviously not contradict the requirements for alcohol interlocks as specified in the EN 50436 series. Furthermore, such solutions and their associated test plans must be published and described in full in the installation document in accordance with EN 50436-7 and meet the current and voltage requirements for traditional installation. The choice of this interface is therefore strongly recommended, as EN 50436-4 already provides a standardized digital interface that makes it easier to retrofit alcohol interlock devices in motorized vehicles.

In the European Union it was recognized that the subsequent installation of an alcohol interlock, which is becoming more difficult in modern vehicles, represents an increasing hurdle for the use of alcohol interlocks. It is therefore intended that the vehicle manufacturer must compile an installation document in accordance with EN 50436-7 as part of the type approval for motor vehicles.

Individual evidence

1. ^ Website of the Beuth-Verlag des DIN
2. ^ Website of the VDE publishing house
3. ↑ AUSTRIAN STANDARDS website
4. ↑ BSI website
5. ^ AFNOR website
6. ↑ Study on behalf of the European Commission: "Study on the prevention of drink-driving by the use of alcohol interlock devices" ( Memento of the original dated December 10, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
7. ^ Report on behalf of the European Commission: "Benefit and feasibility of a range of new technologies and unregulated measures in the field of vehicle occupant safety and protection of vulnerable road users"