Cars of the future won’t allow you to drive while drunk

The problem with leaving it up to people to decide whether they’re too drunk to drive is that, if you’re too drunk to drive, there’s a good chance that you’re too drunk to make the decision not to drive. That’s why the NHTSA has been working on a new type of alcohol detection technology that would enable your car to automatically prevent your from driving if you’re above the legal alcohol limit. 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration unveiled a first-ever prototype vehicle with an advanced alcohol detection technology that could ultimately prevent vehicles from being operated by a drunken driver. At an event in front of hundreds of members of Mothers Against Drunk Driving at the agency’s headquarters, NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind showed off the technology that has been under development since 2008. Under the partnership, NHTSA is working with automakers including Detroit’s Big Three automakers to develop a Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety — known as “DADSS” — a noninvasive system aimed at detecting when a driver is above the legal alcohol limit. “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. “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.”