Technology Can Help Reduce Drunk Driving

Most people know that more than .08 Blood Alcohol Content is the legal standard for driving impairment. But, many people still drink and drive. Why do they do this? Alcohol dulls the part of the brain that is responsible for planning and may cause you to act out of character. You might believe you are less drunk than you actually are. Alcohol makes you feel confident. Therefore, you think you can drive carefully and avoid an accident. Your ability to reason is compromised and you may make an impulsive decision.

Here’s the problem: It’s been said that the average drunk driver has driven drunk 80 times before a first arrest. And many people who have had their driver’s license suspended continue to drive. Approximately 10,000 people are killed by drunk drivers annually in the US according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Three in every ten Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related crash at some time in their lives.

People who use substances need to be monitored in an effect to keep the public safe. Sometimes the court system requires an offender to use an Ignition Interlock system in which a convicted drunk driver blows into the device in order to start the vehicle. If they have alcohol in their system, the car will not start. Alcohol ignition interlock programs appear to be effective during the time period when the interlock is installed in the car. But these systems don’t deter alcohol related accidents after they are removed from the vehicle.

Here’s two new solutions that could extend to everyone who drives. Drunk Driver Detector is new technology that would prevent a car from moving if the driver is intoxicated. It is technology that could be built into all newly manufactured cars for permanent use. Researchers are developing two detection methods for the driver alcohol detection system for safety or DADSS. One method allows the car to analyze a driver’s exhaled breath for alcohol content by breathing into a BAC device near the steering wheel. Another method shines an infrared light through a fingertip on the dash board to measure blood alcohol levels under the skin.

Many people think that marijuana is a safe substance. But remember that drug use of any kind affects the body in the same way that alcohol does. There are many drugs that can impair driving including over-the-counter, prescription, legal or recreational marijuana, or illicit drugs. These substances can alter perception, cause poor coordination and balance, and slow reaction times. A 2009 study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that 18% of fatally injured drivers tested positive for at least one drug.

The task ahead is to change social norms in addition to the use of technology. The good news is that underage drinking has decreased. According to SAMHSA the percentage of underage people who drank declined from 28.8% to 22.7%. This suggests that alcohol is losing its appeal among 12 to 20 year olds. This is especially encouraging because alcohol can slow brain development in youth. Binge drinking in the general population has not changed.

Driving is a privilege, not a right. The behavior of those who continue to drink and drive needs to be restricted. Technology can be helpful toward this end.