Cars with factory-included advanced and more reliable alcohol interlock systems could be on the market by 2018.
The technology, built into the car, could determine whether a driver’s blood alcohol level was greater than the legal limit of 0.08 percent and prevent the car from driving.
A prototype factory system with touch-based technology and breathilizer technology could be ready by 2015, reports Insurance.com.
The technology is the result of project involving 15 automakers the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to develop a “Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety.”
The embedded interlock technology is expected to be less obtrusive and more reliable than current aftermarket systems that require a driver blow into a tube. The new system would likely roll out in higher end car models initially.
Currently, researches are determining where to place a touch sensor for the system, be it in a push-button starter, steering wheel shaft or gearshift. The breath sensor must also be able to distinguish between the driver and passengers.
The project, which began in 2008, is aimed at stopping drunken driving, as alcohol is involved in about a third of all fatal crashes.
Source: Insurance.com via Cars.com
