Drunk Driver-Proof Cars By 2020

The U.S. government is working on drunk driver-proof cars.

The Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety is “a research partnership between the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and an industry consortium to develop technology to prevent alcohol-impaired drivers from operating their vehicles while under the influence,” according to a DADSS press release.

Two prototypes were displayed Thursday during a press event at the Department of Transportation. The breath-based system pulls the driver’s breath into a sensor where a beam of infrared light is directed at molecules in the breath. The sensor can compare carbon dioxide and alcohol molecules, and if the alcohol molecules are above a certain proportion of carbon dioxide, the vehicle won’t start.

The other is a touch-based technology that reads blood-alcohol below the skin’s surface. Touch sensors shine a light onto the finger, which helps detect the level of alcohol in the driver’s blood.

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