NHTSA Shows Off Prototype that Would Prevent Drunk Driving

The initiative is meant to use technology as a way to keep drunk drivers from operating a vehicle, and it's being previewed with two systems. First, a steering wheel-mounted breathalyzer can detect whether a person has a blood-alcohol concentration above 0.08. Also, tech in the ignition-start button uses infrared light to scan underneath someone's finger to determine the BAC. If the reading is too high, the vehicle doesn't start. The video above goes into more detail about the prototype.

According to The Detroit News, NHTSA has no intention to make this safety tech mandatory but would like for it to be available to order on new vehicles in the future. Commercial implementation is still at least five years away, but real-world testing in some government vehicles could begin sooner than that.

"DADSS has enormous potential to prevent drunk driving in specific populations such as teen drivers and commercial fleets, and making it an option available to vehicle owners would provide a powerful new tool in the battle against drunk driving deaths," NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind said in the agency's announcement.

Not everyone is on board, though, and restaurant trade group the American Beverage Institute is lobbying against it, according to The Detroit News. The organization claims that since people process alcohol at different rates, DADSS could keep someone who just had a glass of wine with dinner from driving.