Manufacturers have found a way to reduce the number of car accidents caused by drunk driving, by installing special ignition technology that will hinder drivers from controlling their vehicles if they reach a certain blood alocohol content level.
Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety (DADSS) was disclosed by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration with two prototypes that have been developed by researchers beginning 2008.
The breath-based system will be placed either at the door on the driver's side or on the steering wheel. The device will be mounted on either of these parts of the car so that the driver's breath can be smelled easily and analyzed automatically.
Located in a gear shift or an ignition button, there is also a touch sensor that scans the skin. Blood Alcohol Content or BAC is looked up by the system from the scan result.
A video showing an overview of the new technology has been released to inform the public.
The car can only run when the driver's BAC does not go beyond 0.08, from results both from the breathalyzer and the touch sensor.
While it is yet not mandatory for safety, initiatives were being taken by car companies in developing such technology like Nissan.
In Nissan's technology, BAC detection happens in the transmission shift knob when the driver's palm perspires. Transmission is sealed if the BAC goes above the legal limit.
"There is still a great deal of work to do, but support from Congress and the industry has helped us achieve key research and development milestones. DADSS has enormous potential to prevent drunk driving in specific populations such as teen drivers and commercial fleets, and making it an option available to vehicle owners would provide a powerful new tool in the battle against drunk driving deaths," Rosekind states in an interview tih Engadget.
International Business Times reports that a car accident could happen every 50 minutes, which amounts to about 10,000 drunk people being killed in 2013.
With this number of deaths for the last two years, this technology can be a great tool in preventing drunken drivers from smashing their cars and potentially ending their life on the road.
