- The U.S. Department of Transportation is ramping up the push for advanced drunk-driving prevention technologies with the goal of integrating them into vehicles in 8-10 years.
- A touch-based system called "tissue spectrometry" that senses blood-alcohol concentration is under evaluation.
- The feds say "the goal over time is to equip all passenger vehicles in the U.S. with the technology."
WASHINGTON — Saying that it has arrived at "a new frontier in the fight against drunk driving," the U.S. Department of Transportation on Friday outlined plans for new alcohol-detection technologies in vehicles. It said the goal is to integrate such technologies into vehicles in 8-10 years.
The new Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety includes a touch-based system called "tissue spectrometry" that senses blood-alcohol concentration. A second option is "distant spectrometry" that uses part of the infrared light spectrum to detect alcohol concentration in the driver's breath. If the system detects that the driver is drunk, the vehicle will be disabled.
"The goal over time is to equip all passenger vehicles in the U.S. with the technology, since without full implementation the benefits will be reduced," said the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in a statement.
The federal government is in the middle of a five-year, $10-million cooperative effort with automakers to develop such technologies. The NHTSA said it will kick off "practical demonstrations of one or more of the alcohol-detection technologies" later this year. The automakers involved in the project include BMW, Chrysler, Ford, GM, Honda, Hyundai/Kia, Jaguar/Land Rover, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Porsche, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo.
"The [alcohol-detection] technology is not intended to prevent anyone from having a glass of wine or an alcoholic beverage for dinner," said the NHTSA.
It said the cost per vehicle has not yet been established, but that such technology could be "voluntarily installed as an option for new cars."
The NHTSA said 10,839 people died nationwide in crashes involving a drunk driver in 2009. These deaths make up 32 percent of all fatal crashes, it said.
Inside Line says: Look for these new systems to become a reality in cars and trucks by the end of the decade. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
Add A Comment »
mklrivowner says:
06:04 AM, 02/02/2011
@chrev091 -
They do have them. Breathalizers that interupt the ignition. You have to blow into them in order to re-establish the full circuit. Then you can start the car. And I believe (someone correct me if I'm wrong), that if you fail, you have to wait an hour before using it again.
Problem is, drunks have lower inhabitions. So if you're drunk, and your buddy is not so drunk, instead of having your buddy drive, or even calling a taxi, you have your buddy blow into the device, and then you drive.
If you want to fix the problem, stop the drunks before they get into cars, don't make it all hell for the rest of us.
sarahpalin says:
06:49 PM, 02/01/2011
I'm surprised that alcohol industry lobbyists are not fighting this?
cz_75 says:
02:18 PM, 02/01/2011
America - Land of the Free.
scottyscooter says:
07:00 AM, 02/01/2011
In a country that values liberty and has a constitution, the money being spent on this research is a complete waste of taxpayer money. Way to go NHTSA!
blueguydotcom says:
09:31 PM, 01/31/2011
Whew...glad I'm not the only one who sees this as a problem that goes well beyond government involvement. Between this and the airbags that keep people without seatbelts from being ejected, our government really is working over time to make sure every last one of us can't ever be injured while driving.
I know I feel safer now that car windows have anti-pinch mechanisms and seatbelt chimes. Sigh...
rpvitiello says:
09:05 PM, 01/31/2011
If you want to reduce drunk driving, require bars to close 1 hour before public transit shuts down. If you are going to set some arbitrary time that bars must shut down, have it be for a reason.
I don't understand what people are thinking when transit shuts down at say 10pm, but bars are open till 2am. How does anyone really expect those people to get home?
Also have places for people to leave their car after coming out from the bar and realizing they had too much to drink. Places like NYC are ruthless with parking tickets and complex regulations to make money. when people are facing an almost guaranteed $200 fine plus $220 towing fee, plus a storage fee, not to mention any damage to their car, they may think its worth the risk to drive the car home drunk just to avoid $700 in guaranteed fines if they leave it.
chrev091 says:
08:52 PM, 01/31/2011
Why not design a system thats modular. Just make someone with multiple DUI's install this in their car. Kinda like wearing the house bracelet. Making it an optional extra is stupid and forcing it on the american public will get the same reaction like healthcare and any time your parents made you absolutely do something
aspade says:
06:42 PM, 01/31/2011
"The government *must* be involved since people are completely incapable of regulating themselves on this particular issue."
Stockholm syndrome.
mce63 says:
06:25 PM, 01/31/2011
Suggestion to the Feds: Try it out on pilots and train engineers first.
smallfield says:
05:01 PM, 01/31/2011
Seems really silly. I'm sure you'll be able to flash over-ride this if you were a drunk. Also, doesn't the government watch Cops on TV??? None of those drunk jackasses have a new car.
Either way - for 99.9% of drivers out there we'll pay a couple hundred dollars for a piece of hardware that doesn't apply to us... I'll bet the sensor maker gave a lot to some campaigns.