Alcohol Sensors In Cars: New Technology Could Shut Down Vehicles If Blood Alcohol Level Exceeds Legal Limit

Drinking under the influence of alcohol costs the United States $199 billion a year and according to estimates from MADD, a person is injured in a drunk driving crash every two minutes. While public health awareness and legal restrictions can assist in educating and discouraging people from drinking and driving, a more full proof method is required.

Now, courtesy of new technology from the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety (DADSS), drivers under the influence could be stopped from getting behind the wheel using blood alcohol sensor technology. The alcohol sensor detection for drivers in vehicles would assess the driver’s blood alcohol level using breath-based and touch-based sensors and if it is over the legal limit, the car will not start up.

“This touch-based system uses near-infrared tissue spectroscopy to detect the level of alcohol in the blood,” says the narrator in the video. “Alcohol absorbs specific wavelengths light. By measuring the light's intensity, the system can precisely pinpoint the driver's blood alcohol level.”

DADSS released a video showcasing the technology – watch the video further below – and explains how alcohol molecules can be detected from a driver’s breath. While there is no clear plan on when this technology would roll out for drivers, there is no doubt it could prevent a lot of fatalities and accidents on the road.

“Public-private research partnerships like DADSS have led to innovations that enhance our everyday lives, such as the Internet, GPS and the microchip. Now we have our sights set on inventing a world without drunk driving," said Rob Strassburger, president and CEO of ACTS, in a press release. 

“There’s more work to be done, but through this broad coalition of support, we are driven to successfully complete this life-saving technology.”

ISweek（http://www.isweek.com/）- Industry sourcing & Wholesale industrial products