New Technology Could Prevent An Intoxicated Driver From Driving

There is an abundance of new technology being developed by various companies for motor vehicles. In the past decade, and especially in recent years, many new safety features have been added to cars, trucks, and SUVs in order to help drivers avoid getting into an accident. For example, backup cameras allow drivers to see what's going on behind their cars more clearly and are useful in making sure that no one is standing right behind the vehicle. According to Consumer Reports, this feature will be mandatory as of the 2018 model year. Collision avoidance systems are also a more recent development that has been added to motor vehicles. These systems can do many things, such as notify drivers when they may hit an object in front or behind the car or let drivers know when a car is in their blindspot. Some systems can even brake for the driver and prevent a collision before the driver has time to react. In addition to safety features designed to avoid crashes, other technology is being developed to deter drunk driving.

A number of organizations are working on a program to help keep intoxicated drivers off the roads. This program is called the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety, or DADSS. DADSS is a "collaborative research partnership between the Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety (ACTS), representing 17 automobile manufacturers, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to assess and develop alcohol-detection technologies to prevent vehicles from being driven when a driver's blood alcohol concentration (BAC) BAC exceeds the legal limit of 0.08 percent." DADSS is working on two different alcohol detection systems to put in vehicles, a breath-based system, and a touch-based system. The breath-based system "is designed to unobtrusively analyze alcohol in the driver's breath" by drawing a "driver's exhaled breath into a sensor." The sensor will then measure the BAC level in the breath sample. The touch-based system is designed to measure a driver's alcohol level using tissue instead of breath. It "analyzes alcohol found beneath the skin's surface (or more specifically, the blood alcohol content detected in the capillaries)."

If an alcohol level about the legal limit is detected using either of these methods, the car would be prevented from moving, thereby keeping the drunk driver from endangering himself or others. DADSS aims at making this alcohol detection system a "safety option in new vehicles - like automatic braking, lane departure warning and other advanced driver assist vehicle technologies." These detection systems are still in development, but early prototypes of the technology were exhibited at the annual Governor Highway Safety Association meeting this past August.

This new technology could prevent drunk driving accidents as well as reduced the number of DUI's. If you or your loved one has been charged with driving under the influence, please do not hesitate to contact the Gwinnett County DUI Attorney Richard Lawson today.