Science & Technology

New technology could prevent drink driving

By T.K. Randall
January 2, 2013 ·  24 comments

Image Credit: sxc.hu The dangers of drink driving have been the subject of campaigns and legal crackdowns for years. While these measures have proven to decrease the number of alcohol related deaths on the roads, there is still much room for improvement. To tackle this, a research team lead by Bud Zaouk has been researching ways in which to prevent drivers who have had too much to drink from even being able to drive their cars at all.

One potential solution would use an infrared sensor in the car's ignition to scan the driver's finger for signs of alcohol which gives off its own unique optical signature. Another idea would incorporate a breathalyser device in to the steering wheel so that it could detect the driver's alcohol levels when they sit down. In both cases, if the device detects that the driver is over the limit the car would be automatically immobilized.[!gad]The dangers of drink driving have been the subject of campaigns and legal crackdowns for years. While these measures have proven to decrease the number of alcohol related deaths on the roads, there is still much room for improvement. To tackle this, a research team lead by Bud Zaouk has been researching ways in which to prevent drivers who have had too much to drink from even being able to drive their cars at all.

One potential solution would use an infrared sensor in the car's ignition to scan the driver's finger for signs of alcohol which gives off its own unique optical signature. Another idea would incorporate a breathalyser device in to the steering wheel so that it could detect the driver's alcohol levels when they sit down. In both cases, if the device detects that the driver is over the limit the car would be automatically immobilized.

Source: CBS News | Comments (24)

Tags: