US Aims To Stop Drunk Driving By Using This Car Technology (Representational File Image)
On Tuesday, US auto safety authorities announced they are starting a process that will eventually make car manufacturers use new technology to stop drunk drivers from starting vehicles.
In 2021, Congress told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to make a rule for a passive technology aiming to prevent over 10,000 road deaths every year. If the technology is ready, the law requires a new safety standard by November 2024. Several potential technologies are being developed, such as sensors that can detect alcohol through breath or touch. Another idea is using cameras to watch for signs of intoxication by monitoring eye movements.
However, NHTSA needs to be sure the technology actually works before making it a requirement. Once the rules are finalized, they will give carmakers at least three years to put it into action.
“We are trying to see can we get it done, does the technology exist in a way that is going to work every time,” Acting NHTSA Administrator Ann Carlson said, adding that public acceptance of the technology would depend on its accuracy.
As per Carlson there have been near about 1 billion separate daily driving journeys in the United States.
“If it’s 99.9% accurate, you could have a million false positives,” Carlson said. “Those false positives could be somebody trying to get to the hospital for an emergency.”
On Tuesday, the NHTSA released a document called an “advance notice of proposed rulemaking” to start gathering information on how this technology could be created and made necessary.
This notice talks about the research and technology improvements needed to make final rules and options for possible rules. It mentions things like “Blood alcohol content detection, impairment-detection (driver monitoring), or a combination.”
Tess Rowland, the President of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, said the group was “very pleased” that NHTSA has started this process.
“We understand we still have a mountain to climb,” Rowland said. “Victims and survivors are not going to let this die.”
(From Reuters Inputs)