US Unveils Car That Won't Start When Driver Is Drunk

This Car Knows When You're Pissed
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The US have unveiled a car that will potentially stop drink drivers taking to the roads.

At a Department of Transport event in Washington D.C., the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) showed off a prototype fitted with two different types of Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety (DADSS) technology that can 'sense' the driver's level of intoxication.

One form of the technology works likes a standard breath analyser positioned in the steering wheel or the car door while the other is a touch sensor, also located in the steering wheel or gear stick that scans the driver's blood-alcohol content.

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If the car detects that the driver is over the limit, it won't start.

The project, a collaboration between Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety (ACTS) and the NHTSA, should be completed in the next five years after which it could be introduced as an extra add-on that car buyers can purchase.

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NHTSA Administrator Rosekind said: “DADSS has enormous potential to prevent drunk driving in specific populations such as teen drivers and commercial fleets, and making it an option available to vehicle owners would provide a powerful new tool in the battle against drunk driving deaths.”