Peter Frenzer, the president of the Ohio-based Nationwide Insurance Co., liked what he heard Thursday about the "not a drop" bill.
So much so that Frenzer, who was at the Capitol to announce a gift of eight portable alcohol detectors to the state, decided to donate 12 of the devices after hearing Valentine speak about the bill.Valentine was among the lawmakers who thanked the company at the press conference, saying the detectors would strengthen the "not a drop" bill because they will give Utah Highway Patrol troopers another way to determine if a driver has been drinking.
Frenzer was impressed and quickly decided to give the state four additional detectors, according to Jerry Petersen, field sales manager for the insurance company's local office.
"I'm just trying to find out where to order four more," Petersen said. The total value of the donation is now at about $7,500.
The hand-held detectors, about the size of a cellular telephone, measure the amount of ethyl alcohol on a person's breath. The results - which can be tainted by hair spray or perfume - won't be used as evidence.
Instead, troopers will use the results to decide whether to arrest a suspected drunk driver, just as they use the results of more traditional field sobriety tests.