While drink driving fatalities and injuries have declined in recent decades, it still remains amajor problemon Australian roads.
In the US, themassive infrastructure billpassed by Congress last yearmandatedcar manufacturers equip vehicles with advanced drink-driving prevention technology.
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In an emergency situation, these systems can alsowork togetherto prevent a crash.
Such technologies have been been integrated into vehicles since theearly 2000s, primarily to monitor fatigue and distraction.
Today, most new vehicles come with such systems and theyve becomeincreasingly sophisticated.
One is abreath-based systemthat can determine a drivers blood alcohol content from normal breathing in the car.
If either system determines the driver is impaired or over the legal limit, it will take action.
This new technology will beavailablefor open licensing in commercial vehicles later this year.
Others have decried the loss of freedom and inconvenience that might result from system failures.
The very randomness of these interventions limits their effectiveness, especially innon-urban environments.
Punitive measures such as prison time alsodo not appear to have an impact, particularly with repeat offenders.
Additionally, the breath analysis tests used by policemay be flawedand are subject to human error.
Technological design innovations have been used successfully toprevent car thefts.
This article byKyle J.D.
