New Technology Aims to Prevent Drunk Driving Cars and trucks one
day may have built-in blood alcohol detectors, The Wall Street
Journal reports. Research on the Driver Alcohol Detection System
for Safety (DADSS) is progressing more quickly than expected,
and could be available within eight to 10 years, experts say.
The technology could be built into a vehicle’s dashboard or
controls. It would check a driver’s blood alcohol level, and
would not start if the level were above the legal limit.
Researchers developing the system are working with the Alliance
of Automobile Manufacturers and the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA). The next goal would be to develop
a commercially produced vehicle that could drive a drunk owner
home, the article notes. About one-third of drivers killed in
car crashes have blood alcohol levels of 0.08 or higher,
according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Devices
called alcohol interlocks are already available to disable a car
if the driver is intoxicate