The button that tells if you’re drunk

Hey, you, drunk people driving cars! You’re drunk driving days are over! At least, we hope. Two companies are decided to join their efforts and create a push-to-start button which to automatically sense driver’s blood-alcohol level. We are talking about Takata (am Auburn Hills-based parts supplier) and TruTouch (an Albuquerque-based company). For succeeding finalizing their idea, the Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety gave them $2.25 million grant. A good start, we’d say!

For the moment, the device needs only a few seconds to determine the alcohol level, but it works properly only in room temperature conditions. It uses an infrared sensor and is about the size of a bread box. So, the little help from ACTS should be enough to correct these elements that the device misses: the device to fit behind a car’s start button, to display the results in only a few milliseconds, to work in different temperature situations.

The biggest challenge: to keep its price below $200 per unit.

We think they should also find a way to connect the device to the car, so that a driver to be obliged to check his blood-alcohol level before to start the car and then to prevent the car to start if the result is above legal limits of the country.

So, what do you say: are you a supporter of this device?

[Source: Autoblog, Photo]

Post tags: Tags: blood-alcohol level, button, safe driving