WASHINGTON, D.C. – Within 5 years, federal officials are saying, breathalyzer technology could be installed in all new cars that prevent the vehicle from being moved, all in an attempt to “invent a world without drunk driving”.
Drunk driving claims more than 10,000 lives each year, according to statistics. The Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety (DADSS) program is researching a first-of-its-kind technology that officials say “holds the greatest potential” to reverse this trend. The technology will automatically detect when a driver is intoxicated with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) at or above .08 – the legal limit in all 50 states – and prevent the car from moving.
On Thursday, June 4, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, members of Congress and the DADSS research program shared the latest advancements in the development of first-of-its-kind technology that can passively, reliably and accurately measure a driver’s blood alcohol level.
According to DADSS, installing breathalyzer technology in all new cars over 15 years would save more than 59,000 lives—an 85% drop in crash fatalities. It would also prevent more than 1.25 million nonfatal injuries, and save the country an estimated $342 billion in injury-related costs.
The DADSS research program says its goal is to “advance the state of alcohol detection technology by developing a system that is fast, accurate, reliable and affordable – all without affecting normal driving behavior.” The program is exploring two different technologies for vehicle integration: a breath-based system and a touch-based system.
In a breath-based system, the alcohol level in a driver’s naturally exhaled breath unobtrusively. It will be designed to take instantaneous readings as the driver breathes normally and to accurately and reliably distinguish between the driver’s breath and that of any passengers.
In a touch-based system, blood alcohol levels under the skin’s surface by shining an infrared-light through the fingertip. It will be integrated into current vehicle controls, such as the start button or steering wheel, and take multiple, accurate readings in less than a second.
Do you believe this technology should be installed in vehicles?
I am absolutely against this. Even though I in no way support drunk driving I think it is a “PERSONAL” responsibility and the government has no business telling us what to do. It is one thing to put in a car driven by someone convicted, but something else altogether for the average citizen. I know people who have had a breathalyzer and their cars would shut off if they smoked a cigarette or had on perfume. This is just more liberal nanny state B.S.
This isn’t fair to the people who don’t drink!
I agree, because of a few rotten apples everyone who owns/drives a car will pay. Probably not me though, I’ll never own another new car, way to expensive.
As long as you are not impacted, that’s what counts.