© UnknownHypothetical toxication meter
The nanny state is at it again:
This tweet generated a ton of responses from conservative followers who were outraged at the idea that the government is going to monitor your driving and activate a "kill switch" if it doesn't approve. But that isn't what's really happening. Here's the skinny:
- This is solely about reducing drunk driving. It was part of the 2021 infrastructure bill.
- Cars will be fitted with devices that (a) detect alcohol in the air via sensors in the door and (b) measure blood alcohol levels via infrared lights in the ignition button.
- If you are over the legal limit, your car will start but it won't move.
- This is entirely in-car tech. Neither the police nor anyone else has access to it.
- The IIHS estimates it will save 9,000 lives per year.
You can decide for yourself what you think of this. But you should at least know what's really going on.
Comment: DUI-free future? Some questions remain:
Technology is constantly evolving, and methods aimed at bettering life are always being introduced, created and updated. This is never more true than right now, when technologies aimed at eliminating drunk driving are right on the horizon. But is everyone excited about this new step towards a DUI-free future? And is there a chance it may be less than ideal?
The system, called Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety (DADSS), uses dual sensors located inside the vehicle to detect a person's blood alcohol count.
One sensor - the breath-based sensor, detects the alcohol molecules present in the driver's breath. The second sensor, which is the touch-based sensor, uses infrared tissue spectroscopy which measures the intensity of the light particles absorbed by alcohol. Together they work to narrow down the driver's blood alcohol content. If the driver's BAC exceeds the limit prescribed by the law, the car will automatically shut down.
Features that the inventors behind this tech plan to include would be a programmable "zero tolerance" setting for teen drivers. This would make it impossible for the car to start if there is even a trace of alcohol in the driver's system. This way, parents can feel safe when handing their keys to their teenage son or daughter. Currently, human subject testing is underway at McLean Hospital Behavioral Psychopharmacology Research Laboratory.
Would a "smart car" help us save lives and eliminate DUI arrests?
According to the NHTSA, about 28 people die every single day around the country as a result of drunk driving. That amounts to a staggering 10,000 or more people every year. Could this new technology stop these tragic deaths? Perhaps reduce the number of drunk driving accidents in our future? Save lives in Michigan and elsewhere? Possibly.
However, while many people, including the NHTSA, the U.S. Department of Transportation and members of Congress, are excited about this development, some people are unsure. Will already expensive newer cars be even pricier with this new technology? What happens if the technology malfunctions and sober drivers are stuck with cars that don't start every time? How much will this tech inside new vehicles change the cost of basic maintenance?
Those aren't the only questions. What about designated driver situations? Does the presence of a non-driving drunk person in the vehicle, whose breath could be detected by the sensor, increase the risk of the vehicle refusing to start for a sober designated driver? Only time will tell whether or not this technology is as accurate, and as ethical, as early reports are claiming.
Comment: DUI-free future? Some questions remain: