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October 26, 2007
In most states, some people convicted of drunken driving can start their cars only after blowing into a device attached to the vehicle that detects alcohol, shutting the car down if it does, according to the New York Times.
These alcohol interlocks are a bit clunky and very intrusive. But with improvements to the technology, where a simple touch of the steering wheel might measure a driver’s blood alcohol concentration level, advocates say every car, not just ones owned by those convicted of drunken driving, could some day be equipped with an interlock.
The advocates said that if the technological and privacy hurdles were overcome — which could take many years, if not decades — the interlocks could save thousands of lives a year.
“It’s better to prevent somebody from breaking the law, and maybe killing or injuring someone, than to arrest them after the fact and try to prevent them from doing that again,” said Anne McCartt, senior vice president for research at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth 
at 10:12 AM to Safety
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