Published in News

Cars are going to shut down if you are drunk

by on10 June 2015


I can't let you drive Dave

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is working on two new technologies that will prevent your car from starting if your blood-alcohol level is above the legal limit.

While car safety has meant road deaths are falling, 31 percent of road fatalities in 2013 in the US were related to alcohol use and it wants to bring in a Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety (DADSS) programme.

The NHTSA showed off a test car with two prototypes. One is a sensor, located either in the steering wheel or driver-side door that breathalyses you. The other system is a touch sensor, either on the ignition button or gear shift that can scan your blood-alcohol content (BAC). If you're beyond the legal limit, the car won't start.

At the moment there are some weaknesses. If you are sober and all your passengers are worse for wear your car might not start. And what is to stop a drunk bloke asking someone sober to start his car for him.

The press release said that the NHTSA is specifically targeting teen drivers and commercial fleets, and that the first deployments are likely to be government vehicles.

At the moment the NHTSA isn't looking to make the tech mandatory on new cars but would like car makers to offer it as an option. The plan is to have the tech ready in the next five years.

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