The U.S. government has just given this the go ahead. Sensors embedded in places like the steering wheel and door locks can lock down the engine if the driver’s blood alcohol level is detected to be above the legal limit. link
If North America had the same laws as Switzerland, they'd not have to resort to such things: get a D.U.I. over there, get convicted, and that's your drivers' licence for LIFE.
I've a major pet peeve with the subject of drinking and driving: lose a loved one to a drunk driver and tell me you don't feel the same.
I can see the noble intentions, but I find some possible legal issues when it comes to enforcing that gadget in a car you're spending your own money on. What if the system malfunctions and shuts down your engine at a time when you need to bring your wife to the hospital to deliver a baby?
It just proves that when man invents something to solve one problem, it does however, create another problem. Tsk! Tsk! Why not treat the root of the problem instead?
I agree with fiat500. It's not really going to fix the problem long term, as a drunk person will just go somewhere else to be annoying and cause damage. It's the issue of drinking irresponsibly that should be addressed on a much deeper level.
I agree with others. That sensor isn't going to solve the problem. It's like putting a band-aid on a deep cut. It might stop someone who is drunk from driving, but it's not going to do anything to stop the abuse of alcohol.
Ohhh, dumb question time: how would the sensors tell the difference between blood alcohol content and an alcohol-based hand sanitizer?? If the sensors are reading from the hands on the steering wheel, it seems to me there's a few ways that could "kill" the vehicle, and they don't involve ingesting booze!
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New car technology to stop drunk drivers
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