Breathalysing Car

The next generation of cars will be designed to detect if the driver is over the limit.

18:19 09 June 2015

Researchers are working on designing a car that will refuse to be driven by a drunk driver. This will be made possible by an in-car breathalyser system that can detect if the driver is over the limit. The technology is the latest move to cut down on drink-driving related deaths. 

 

The Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety comes with a steering-wheel mounted breath checker that measures the ethanol the driver exhales. Should the blood alcohol level is above the legal limit, the car can’t be driven. 

 

The researchers are also exploring on designing a touch-based system that will measure blood alcohol levels. This will involve shining an infrared-light through the fingertip and could also be integrated into the steering wheel or start button. 

 

The new design is believed to help in lowering insurance premiums. 

 

The technology has been developed by an industry group representing 18 different automotive companies including Toyota, Honda, Nissan, VW, Volvo, General Motors, Ford, and Mercedes-Benz.