New system in the work to keep drunk Virginia drivers off the road

When it comes to transportation safety in Virginia, drunk driving is a hot topic.  Every year across the United States over 10,839 people die in alcohol related crashes, which accounts for about 32 percent of all fatal wrecks.

 

Our federal government takes the issue especially seriously.  If drunk drivers could just be prevented from getting behind the wheel in the first place, many DUI wrecks could be avoided and innocent lives could undoubtedly be saved.  The new Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety (DADSS) aims to do just that.

 

An answer to the challenge of how to keep drunk drivers off of our roads

 

DADSS technology’s sole goal is to prevent drivers under the influence of alcohol from being able to start their cars.  This technology is the result of a five year, $10 million initiative between the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety (ACTS).  ACTS is an industry group for vehicle manufacturers across the world.

 

There are two different types of DADSS technologies in development.  One is able to detect a driver’s blood alcohol concentration using a touch-based approach, while the other tests a driver’s breath.  A breath-based alcohol detection device for cars is already available today, and is known as an ignition interlock device. 

 

Technology can save lives

 

The goal is that someday DADSS technology will be available in all vehicles sold in the U.S., making it that much harder for drunk drivers to kill or be killed on our roads, potentially saving thousands of lives each year.