The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has begun the process to force carmakers to adopt technology that would prevent drunk drivers from starting vehicles. The passive technology could help prevent the more than 10,000 road deaths that occur annually as a result of drunk-driving.
The move by the NHTSA has been prompted by the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which directed the agency to mandate a passive technology to address this issue by November 2024. The NHTSA will also need to provide manufacturers with a notice period of a minimum of three years before the measure is implemented…
There are currently a number of technologies under development that could serve this purpose, ranging from breath- or touch-based sensors to detect alcohol, to cameras that monitor eye movements to try to determine whether drivers are intoxicated, or a combination of both.