THIS week in 1967, the first breathalyser test in Britain was administered to a motorist in Somerset.

Breathalyser tests were introduced by transport minister Barbara Castle after the first drink-drive limit law was passed in May 1967. The devices were basic and needed to be backed up with urine or blood tests.

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).

Within the first year of the act being introduced, it was credited with reducing the percentage of accidents in which alcohol was a factor from 25% to 15%.

The long-term impact is also clear. In 1967, the number of road deaths attributed to alcohol was 1,640 and by 2015, the figure had fallen to 200.

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.”