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President Biden’s $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, if enacted, will force automakers to equip all new vehicles with “advanced alcohol monitoring systems.”
The provision in the 2,702-page bill requires the Department of Transportation to establish a new “advanced drunk and disabled driving prevention technology safety standard.”
There would be three years for the Department of Transportation to devise the new standard, followed by a two-year implementation timeline for automakers.
Advocates say a long-standing “common sense” solution to the systemic problem of drink-driving has been needed.
“We can’t wait any longer to establish a standard for disabled driving technology that can be applied to all new vehicles,” said the Mothers Against Drunk Driving representative. “When the law is signed… [infrastructure bill] It will be the beginning of the end of drunk driving.”
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drunk driving causes more than 10,000 deaths and 300,000 injuries annually.
“We have the technology to prevent thousands of drunk driving deaths and save lives every year,” said Debbie Dingell, a Michigan Democratic Representative who has passed legislation on the issue in the past.
While the provision has received public support from both drink-driving groups and the auto industry, it remains unclear exactly what disabled driving technology entails.
Some suggest that at the end of the tongue it will require every vehicle to be equipped with a breathalyzer or an ignition interlock system. Such devices require drivers to prove that they are not intoxicated before being allowed to use their vehicle.
“Given where the technology is, it’s the only option,” said a source from the auto industry who requested anonymity on the matter.
But advocates of the policy say they prefer new developments, such as steering wheel sensors that can measure blood alcohol content, or windshield technology that measures when the driver’s eyes are away from the road.
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