Muthablogga

We all know someone whose life has been affected by drinking and driving, either directly or indirectly. That friend who got arrested for being 0.02% over the limit, the friend who is in a wheel chair for the rest of his or her life because either they were drunk or the person that drove into them was.  The person that died or the person that ended up in a coma due to the irresponsible actions of a drunk behind a wheel. Sadly I know people who have been in all of these situations. Trust your Mutha to find a solution.

Enter the ‘BlaasPass’. Now, you really can check yourself; before you wreck yourself. What is the BlaasPass? It’s your own portable breathalyzer. No more guessing. This handy lifesaving gadget is conveniently tiny (L= 80mm x b=40mm x d=18mm),infact it’s small enough to hang on your key chain. Courtesy of Graynode Entertainment, I’m giving away 3 of these handy little BlaasPass breathalyzers for Christmas. If you are going to drink and drive, do the right thing and blow before you go!

To Win:

1. ‘Like’ the BlaasPass Facebook page by clicking here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Blaaspass/180461511964752
2. Write on the BlaasPass wall: ‘Blaaspass and Muthablogga say you need to check yourself, before you wreck yourself.’
3. Tag your 5 favourite happy-hour friends in your post.

Remember to ‘Like’ Mutha’s FB Page too: https://www.facebook.com/pages/MuthaBlogga/211948438838252

Winners will be announced on 23 December 2011.

Speaking to Ryan Magner, one of the co-owners of Graynode Entertainment, I had the pleasure of getting to know a little more behind the BlaasPass story:

Q: Can you tell me more about yourself and your business?
A: Graynode entertainment was founded in September 2009 as an umbrella company for a number of product ideas my business partner Morne Greef, and I, had. We grew up predominantly on the East Rand of Johannesburg, and met as work colleagues in 2008.  A shared passion for business and a like-minded mentality meant that we quickly became friends.  After a year of brain storming, we finally launched our first product, Kings Cards. It was a great success. Then in December 2010 we launched the Blaaspass.

Q: What inspired you to start selling the BlaasPaas?
A: The Blaaspass was actually inspired as a result of Morne and I becoming more and more aware of responsible drinking and driving.  The media attention this problem receives, coupled by the fact that drinking and driving is becoming more and more unacceptable amongst our peer group, made us start thinking about possible solutions to help alleviate the problem.

Q: You sell both a drinking game and the Blaaspass, isn’t that a bit of a contradiction?
A: Both Morne and I feel it is a myth that enjoying your drinking and responsible drinking are mutually exclusive concepts.  We feel that the 2 products we sell in fact compliment each other quite nicely.  If you are going to be playing drinking games, at least get yourself a Blaaspass to make sure that if you do get back behind the wheel, you can at least make 100% sure you are safe to drive.

Q: How accurate is the Blaaspass?
A: Blaaspass is an accurate indication of whether you are safe to drive or not, but as always, the tool is only accurate in the hands of a user who has read the instructions, and operates the tool correctly.  If you are worried that you may be over the limit, it is important to get at least 3 safe readings before getting behind the wheel.

Q: Does it show you only if you are above or below the legal limit or does it show figures so you know what the percentage is (as the legal limits change)?
A: Blaaspass shows only whether you are above or below the limit, and does not give a digital output in percentage of Blood Alcohol Level

Q: Do you have any Christmas specials at the moment?
A: If you logon to our website www.graynode.co.za, there are a number of specials available.

Q: What is the exact level that the Blaaspass checks for?
A: Blaaspass checks for a number of different thresholds by using an LED indication system:
-    Green – under 0.02% BAC (0.1mg/l BRAC)
-    Yellow – 0.02% to 0.05% BAC (0.1mg/l to 0.25mg/l BRAC)
-    Yellow and Red – over 0.05 BAC (0.25mg/l BRAC)

The current legal driving limit in RSA is 0.05% BAC.  The general rule of thumb we use would be that if Blaaspass gives you a yellow and red, you cannot drive, anything else you should be good to go, however, its advised that even with a yellow indication, its probably best not to drive.

Q: What happens if the limit changes? Will you need a new one?
A: Yes, unfortunately, if the limit changes, you will need to buy a new one, however, due to the reasonably low cost of the unit, this shouldn’t be a deal breaker for most users.

Q: How long does the Blaaspass last?
A: Blasspass is reusable and can be used as many times as is necessary, over as long a period of time that is necessary.

Are you as amped as I am about the BlaasPass Cape Town? The Best Christmas present to give to a friend, it could save their life.

If your life ever been effected negatively by drinking and driving please share your story with Mutha by leaving a comment below.