New cars might have a system that detects alcohol in your blood

Last year, Congress approved a provision that aims to put an end to drunk driving. This addition to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act would require alcohol detection technology in all new cars by the end of 2024. 

The Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety (DADSS) offers two systems that will allow cars to determine whether the driver is sober or drunk. A breath system measures alcohol levels in a driver's breath, and a touch-based system scans a person’s fingertip to detect alcohol. If any of those tools find the blood alcohol concentration at or above 0.08 percent, the car won’t start. 

The number of traffic deaths has gone up since the start of the pandemic. In 2022, 363 people were killed in car crashes involving drunk drivers across New York state. On average, alcohol-impaired driving fatalities account for more than a third of all traffic deaths, according to data from the U.S. Department of Transportation. 

The alcohol-detection systems could save up to 9,000 lives across the country annually, the new study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety finds. This technology will increase the safety of both drivers and pedestrians. Jessie Singer, the author of There Are No Accidents, suggests that the impaired driving prevention system could also be paired with investments into more affordable public transit options.

“We haven’t made much progress in the fight against drunk driving since the mid-1990s,” says Charles Farmer, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety vice president of research and statistical services. “This is something that could put a real dent in the alcohol-impaired driving problem.”

However, the so-called DADSS system has a new obstacle on its way to becoming a reality. Recently, three Republican senators introduced a bill that aims to amend it. The new legislation was co-sponsored by Senators Mike Rounds and Senator John Cornyn. The text of the bill has not been released yet. 

Resources:

“We’re So Close to Having Cars That You Can’t Drive Drunk,” by Alissa Walker (Curbed, 2022)

“What if cars could stop you from driving drunk? A peek at the latest tech,” by Camila Domonoske (NPR, 2021)

“STATEMENT OPPOSING LEGISLATION TO STOP IMPAIRED DRIVING PREVENTION TECHNOLOGY RULEMAKING,” by Pete Daniels (Advocates for Highway & Auto Safety, 2022)

“New technology mandate in infrastructure bill could significantly cut drunken driving deaths,” by Ian Duncan (The Washington Post, 2021)

“Drunken-Driving Warning Systems Would Be Required for New Cars Under U.S. Bill,” by Neil Vigdor (The New York Times, 2021)