A $1 trillion infrastructure bill being considered by the U.S. Senate could necessitate automakers to fit new vehicles with technology designed to prevent drunk drivers from starting vehicles.
Approximately one-third of all annual U.S. traffic deaths in the U.S. involve impaired drivers and the push could save as many as 10,000 lives per year, Reuters reports. The legislative measures have won backing from the auto insurance industry, some alcohol trade associations, and advocacy groups including Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
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The bill would require the U.S. Department of Transportation to set a technology safety standard within three years while automakers would be provided with another two years to comply. The bill under debate in the U.S. Senate does not specify what kind of technology should be used, but says it must “passively monitor the performance of a driver of a motor vehicle to accurately identify whether that driver may be impaired.”
A couple of years ago, lawmakers said car manufacturers could potentially use devices that can determine a driver’s blood alcohol content by touching their steering wheel or the engine start button. Alternatively, sensors could be installed to monitor a driver’s breath or eye-movements. One system researched by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and automakers measures blood alcohol levels under the skin’s surface by shining an infrared light through the driver’s fingertip.
Reuters states that drink driving deaths cost the United States $44 billion in economic costs and $210 billion in comprehensive societal costs annually. Police departments across the country also arrest about 1 million people annually for alcohol-impaired driving.
