Could Alcohol Detection Systems in New Vehicles Become Reality?
On September 20th, The National Transportation Safety Board called for alcohol impairment detection systems to be added to all new vehicles. On New Year's Day 2021, nine people perished in a crash in California due to an impaired, speeding motorist according to the NTSB investigation, Seven of those nine persons were children.
Technology could’ve prevented this heartbreaking crash, just as it can prevent the tens of thousands of fatalities from impaired-driving and speeding-related crashes we see in the U.S. annually. We need to implement the technologies we have right here, right now to save lives. - NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy
That crash was the impetus for the NTSB to call for a detection system to be installed in new vehicles. According to the New York State Police, more than 17,000 deaths are caused nationally because of drunk and impaired drivers. That averages one death for every 30 minutes.
In the State of New York, just over 30 percent of fatal crashes are alcohol-related, and an injury every 2 minutes is associated with drunk driving according to the New York State Police. The website states that three in every ten U.S. citizens will be involved in an alcohol-related crash sometime in their lifetime.
A motorist is considered legally impaired if their Blood Alcohol Concentration exceeds 0.05 percent. The New York State Police website states that a motorist is legally intoxicated if their Blood Alcohol Concentration is 0.08percent or more.
The NTSB states that these in-vehicle alcohol impairment detection systems would be designed to limit or prohibit impaired drivers from operating their vehicles, and help prevent speeding.
For more information on in-vehicle alcohol impairment detection systems, visit the NTSB website.
via National Transportation Safety Board, New York State Police
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