More research is being conducted into technology that could keep drunk drivers from starting their cars. The technology installed on vehicles could ensure that every time you go to start a vehicle it could potentially provide your blood alcohol content (BAC) in an instant, just from touching the ignition button.
This scenario could be a reality within the decade, and the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the United States, through Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety (DADSS) and The Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety (ACTS) recognizes this system’s capacity to save lives as an additional tool to help address one of the most significant road safety problems around the world.
In a news release issued this week, the NHTSA announced it was providing a $2.25M award to Takata in partnership with TruTouch Technologies to develop an in-vehicle system that could help keep drunk drivers off the road, potentially saving hundreds-of-thousands of lives lost in alcohol-impaired crashes globally every year. As this technology advances and is incorporated into automobiles, it has the capacity to potentially help eliminate drunk driving.
“We are already enjoying tremendous success with this technology in the law enforcement, oil and drilling, military, and transportation markets,” said Dr. Richard D. Gill, President and CEO of TruTouch. “Together with Takata, our mission is to help eliminate alcohol-impaired dangers on the road and save lives.”
Gill says the NHTSA award will help expedite the work to adapt the technology for use in automotive applications where customers demand quick, accurate, and cost-effective in-vehicle solutions to ensure safe vehicle operation.
“As a company solely dedicated to automotive safety, we are excited with the contract from DADSS/ACTS to develop the TruTouch sensors for use in automotive, commercial vehicle and heavy equipment applications,” added Kirk Morris, Vice President of Business Development of TK Holdings Inc., the NA subsidiary of Takata Corporation. “The objective is to develop tools to help intoxicated drivers from operating the vehicle if they are impaired, and to do so in a personal, non-intrusive manner.”
The TruTouch technology uses an advanced intoxication detection technology that measures a person’s alcohol level through the use of infrared light. With TruTouch, a person’s BAC is determined when placing their finger on a near infrared sensor that analyzes the alcohol concentration in his or her body. The device can produce accurate results in seconds and has a built-in biometric system to prevent tampering. The ultimate objective is to embrace this advanced technology and develop an automotive solution equipped to combat the global problem of alcohol related accidents. The Takata/TruTouch products require no user training, and no operator assistance.
To view a brief video of the TruTouch Technology, visit: http://youtu.be/RTuMsOx1dZ4
