2019-Drunk-Drivers-910During the course of 2018 more than 40,000 Americans lost their lives on the roads of the USA. Of those deaths, at least 10,000 were as a result of drunken driving. The skyrocketing number of accidents caused by drunk drivers have resulted in a host of new technologies being developed to try and minimize the number of lives lost on the roads on a daily basis. At present, officials in Maryland, USA are testing new technology that, when installed in a vehicle, will prevent it from moving if the driver has consumed too much alcohol.

Maryland testing new life-saving tech

The team at FVF Law in Austin, Texas asserts that drunk driving accidents are caused by nothing other than reckless behavior and are therefore completely avoidable.  Apart from saving lives, the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety will also reduce the number of injuries obtained in impaired vehicle crashes. The system will analyze a driver's breath prior to the car turning on and, if the alcohol level is too high, prevent it from being driveable.  By allowing the car to at least turn on, the driver will be able to charge their phone to call for assistance as well as make use of the airconditioner if it is hot in the car. The detection device sports various settings to accommodate different groups of drivers.  The ‘zero tolerance' setting is ideal for teenagers and new license holders whereas the legal limit setting can be used for all other drivers.

Technologies have to be implemented in a timely manner

Maryland's Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) will be installing the tech into 8 of its vehicles to test how well it performs over the course of a year. According to MVA representative Chrissy Nizer this pilot program with providing manufacturers with significant insight into how the integration of this and other preventative technologies can help reduce the prevalence of drunk driving. Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and crash-avoidance tech also have to ability to significantly reduce the number of road accidents in the country.

More vehicles to boast innovative technologies

If these technologies were deployed immediately, as many as 9,900 lives could be saved in the U.S. every year according to a study conducted by a consulting group in Boston, MA. Facial monitoring- and movement detection systems can both be integrated into a vehicle alongside breathalyzer technology to reduce impaired driving even further. Motor manufacturers such as Nissan and Volvo have both made significant progress in integrated safety technologies to reduce drunk driving and more manufacturers are bound to follow suit.

The death, injury, and damage caused by drunk driving are completely avoidable. Hopefully, the immense headway being made in terms of preventative technologies the number of people who lose their lives due to alcohol-impaired driving will decrease drastically in the very near future.