TruTouch Technologies claims it has developed the first touch-based alcohol detection device using infrared light that could be installed in vehicles.
Right now, a number of U.S. states and Canadian provinces force first-time and repeat offenders to pay to have their cars equipped with a breathalyzer that acts like an ignition interlock device, and requires them to exhale into the system to check for blood alcohol concentration before the engine can be started.
However, such device can easily be tampered with (your sober friend can pass the test for you), which has many advocates of road safety demanding a smarter system.
That's where TruTouch comes in. Here, a driver’s alcohol level is determined when a finger is placed on an infrared sensor. Results are determined in seconds. This device has a built-in biometric system so it can’t be cheated with another person’s finger.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), through the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety (DADSS) and the Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety (ACTS), has invested $2.25 million in the company and its innovative technology – marking a first step in moving along the ROADS SAFE act (Research of Alcohol Detection Systems for Stopping Alcohol-related Fatalities Everywhere). The bill was passed this summer by the U.S. government.
If proven reliable, the device could soon find its way into the vehicles of people who still fail to understand that drunk driving can have deadly consequences.
Source:Consumer Reports
Right now, a number of U.S. states and Canadian provinces force first-time and repeat offenders to pay to have their cars equipped with a breathalyzer that acts like an ignition interlock device, and requires them to exhale into the system to check for blood alcohol concentration before the engine can be started.
However, such device can easily be tampered with (your sober friend can pass the test for you), which has many advocates of road safety demanding a smarter system.
That's where TruTouch comes in. Here, a driver’s alcohol level is determined when a finger is placed on an infrared sensor. Results are determined in seconds. This device has a built-in biometric system so it can’t be cheated with another person’s finger.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), through the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety (DADSS) and the Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety (ACTS), has invested $2.25 million in the company and its innovative technology – marking a first step in moving along the ROADS SAFE act (Research of Alcohol Detection Systems for Stopping Alcohol-related Fatalities Everywhere). The bill was passed this summer by the U.S. government.
If proven reliable, the device could soon find its way into the vehicles of people who still fail to understand that drunk driving can have deadly consequences.
Source:Consumer Reports