New technology that was unveiled by the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on June 4 could reduce the number of drunk driving accidents in Ohio and around the country. Along with the NHTSA, several automakers showed off the new alcohol detection system at an event in Washington, D.C.
The alcohol detection system is technology that can be installed in a vehicle to prevent drunk driving accidents. When a driver gets into a vehicle, the system can measure the driver’s blood alcohol level in under a second. If the driver’s blood alcohol concentration is over .08 percent, the system will prevent the vehicle from moving. Researchers are looking into a breath-based alcohol detection system and a touch-based alcohol detection system.
A spokesman for the NHTSA said that the technology could help to reduce the number of drunk driving accidents that are caused by specific populations like teen drivers and commercial vehicle drivers. He also said that he hopes the technology will become available to all vehicle owners as a safety option. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the full implementation of alcohol detection systems in vehicles could prevent around 7,000 drunk driving deaths each year.
Motorists who choose to get behind the wheel after being legally intoxicated may be held responsible for any injuries or deaths that they cause in an ensuing accident. Injured victims or family members of deceased victims of drunk driving car accidents may want to pursue their legal claims with the assistance of a personal injury attorney. If a drunk driver also dies in the accident, the claims can still be filed against the driver’s estate.