Future cars could decide if driver is drunk

WALTHAM, Massachusetts - an alcohol detection prototype which is automatic sensors used to immediately measure driver's fitness to be on the move has the potential to save thousands of lives but could be as long as a decade of daily use in cars, federal officials and researchers said Friday.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood visited QinetiQ North America, a Waltham, Massachusetts-based research and development facility for the first public demonstration of the systems that could measure whether a driver has a BAC at or above the legal limit of 08 and - if so - prevents the vehicle start.

Chrysler Motor City buzz create Sunday's Super Bowl game saw a powerful ad air for the U.S. automaker a company that had written many dead. Watch, rate the ads of Super Bowl XLV the worst celebrity of Super Bowl ad ConsumerMan moments: video late fees 'fraud' spreads

Purpose which is technology as unobtrusive systems often designated as opposed to current alcohol ignition interlock by judges for the convicted drunk driver. Those require operators in a breath-testing device to bubbles before the car can operate.

The driver alcohol detection systems for security, as the new approach is called, would use sensors that would measure blood alcohol content in two possible ways: analysis of driver's breath or through the skin with advanced touch based sensors strategically placed on steering and door locks, for example.

Methods eliminating the need for drivers additional steps both those who delay sober would get on the road, researchers said.

The technology is "another arrow in our quiver, automotive safety" said LaHood, stressed that the system was targeted as optional in the future cars and volunteers for automakers.

David Strickland, Director of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, also attended the demonstration and a year in the United States could prevent the technology more than 9,000 serious alcohol-related crashes, although he also acknowledged that it was still in its early stages test and maybe not on the market available for 8-10 years guessed.

The systems would not be used if you seamless, unobtrusive and unfailingly accurate", said Strickland.

Research program of the first $10 million joint NHTSA and the automotive Coalition for traffic safety, an industry group funded many of the automobile manufacturer in the world.

Critics, such as Sarah longwell of the American beverage Institute, a restaurant trade association, doubt, if the technology could be perfected always up to the point, that it would be completely reliable and not some completely sober people from drive stop.

"Even if the technology is reliable 99.9 percent, which is tens of thousands of cars not start every day" said longwell. Their group also questions whether a 0.08 limit actually high enough to all drunk driver, as blood alcohol content in people during a trip based on factors can increase such as how recently you drank and how much you ate to stop.

"It will eliminate the ability of people, a glass of wine with dinner or a beer to a ball something is game and then drive home, completely safe and currently legal in all 50 States to have", she said.

LaHood denied that the technology with moderate social drink would affect and said, the threshold in cars would never be placed below the legal limit.

Bud Zaouk, Director of transportation safety and security for QinetiQ said in Friday's demonstration, a MS in your 20s that weighing drank 120 pound two, in between to simulate 1 1/2 ounce glasses of vodka and orange juice 30 minutes apart, eat some cheese and crackers, a typical social setting.

Both use the touch and breath-based prototype, registered the woman one. 06 blood alcohol content, Zaouk said, so you would be able to start the car.

Laura Dean Mooney, President of mothers against drunk driving, the technology said "Cars could turn into healing."

While the alcohol detection system that ever by the Government is instructed not provided said Mooney, Ehemann caused by a drunk driver 19 years ago died in an accident, envision it someday so ubiquitous as airbags or antilock braking system in today's cars could you, especially if insurance companies for driver incentives, these systems use by discounting awards.

Copyright 2011 associated press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed are.