New Alcohol Detection Technology Would Prevent Drunk Drivers From Operating a Vehicle

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently unveiled a new advanced alcohol detection technology that could prevent drunk drivers from operating a vehicle.

Two prototypes of the same were presented at a press conference in Washington this week. One of the two prototypes detected alcohol particles in the driver's breath, similar to ignition interlock devices currently used by 25 states for drunk driving offenders, but instead of requiring the driver to blow into a breathalyzer.

The second prototype determined blood alcohol content by touch: it shines a light on the driver's finger and uses near-infrared tissue spectroscopy to ascertain how much the person has had to drink. If the driver's blood alcohol content is above 0.08, the car's engine won't start.

"The message today is not 'Can we do this?' but 'How soon can we do this?' " said NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind. "It is a huge step forward."

"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," Rosekind said at the unveiling. "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."

The program has been authorized in 2012 by Congress. Next year NHTSA reached a deal with 15 major automakers to continue research.

In 2013, more than 10,000 people in the United States died in drunk driving crashes, and 290,000 were injured, CS Monitor noted.