ON October 8, 1967, the first-ever breathalyser test was administered to a motorist in the UK.

The test was brought in by Barbara Castle, who served as the transport minister from 1965 until 1968.

Early versions of the breathalyser device were basic and needed to be backed up with urine or blood tests.

Breathalyser tests were introduced after a law setting out the first drink-drive limits was passed in May 1967.

Under the Road Safety Act 1967, it became illegal to drive a motor vehicle with more than 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood (0.35mg of alcohol per litre of breath).

The benefits of the act were quickly made clear: It was credited with reducing the percentage of accidents in which alcohol was a factor from 25% to 15% in its first year.

The long-term impact of the act and the breathalyser is also clear.

In 1967, the number of road deaths attributed to alcohol was 1,640.

By 2015, the figure had fallen to 200.

However, it did not take long until motorists were trying to find a way around it.

On October 20, 1967, the Somerset County Gazette ran an article headlined: ‘Police warning on drink tests.’

The article carried a warning from Somerset and Bath Police against trying to “beat the breathalyser” - by eating mashed potatoes.

The article said: “A warning was given to motorists by Somerset Police this week that they should treat with caution the suggestion that they could beat the breathalyser by eating mashed potatoes before drinking intoxicants.

“Police inspector Robert Rees said that some of the advice had been given, on television and elsewhere, on disguising the effects of drinking, was totally misleading.”

The inspector went on to say "responsible people won’t be affected" by the introduction of breathalyser tests.

He said: “We in the Somerset and Bath Police are extremely jealous of our good relationship between ourselves and the public, and the last thing in the world we would want to do would be to do anything which would injure that relationship.”

The inspector described he Road Safety Act, which authorised the use of the breathalyser, as “the most courageous piece of legislation since the motor car was invented.”

Before the breathalyser was introduced, police officers relied on asking people to touch their nose with their eyes shut, walk in a straight line, or stand on one leg to determine if they had consumed too much alcohol to drive safely.