Drivers Agree: Impaired-Driving Tech Needed
Drunk driving deaths have increased by 22% since 2019, according to AAA.
According to AAA’s Foundation for Traffic Safety, Americans strongly support a range of measures that could reduce fatalities tied to impaired driving. Its Annual Traffic Safety Culture Index shows 67% support requiring all new cars to include alcohol-impairment prevention technology.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently told Mothers Against Drunk Driving that it plans to add impairment-detection technologies to its safety ratings criteria by 2030.
The Honoring Abbas Family Legacy to Terminate, or HALT, Drunk Driving Law passed in 2021 requires the life-saving technology to be installed into all new cars, a move it predicts will save 10,000 lives a year.
The Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety Research Program is exploring two different technologies: breath systems and touch systems. Breath systems analyze a driver’s blood-alcohol concentration by drawing their exhaled breath into a sensor. Touch systems would measure a driver’s blood-alcohol concentration through finger or palm.
“Impaired driving is a preventable crisis, and AAA remains dedicated to helping turn the tide to make roads safer,” said AAA President and CEO Gene Boehm. “As holiday travel picks up and winter weather sets in, the roadways become even more dangerous—especially when impaired driving is added to the mix. Lives are on the line, and together with MADD, we are committed to saving them.”
During the month of December – Impaired Driving Prevention Month – AAA is partnering with MADD and autonomous taxi company Waymo to help drivers avoid impaired driving during one of the most dangerous times of the year on the road, Waymo offering a $5 ride discount through New Year’s Eve.