Whether you live in Idaho or Indiana, drinking and driving is a problem that continues to impact all of us.  Despite the efforts of governments, advocacy groups, ride sharing companies, and law enforcement, people continue to act irresponsibly by drinking and driving.  The idea of a robot or self driving car use to be science fiction.  However, could self driving cars or other 'tech device' eliminate the need to drive drunk?  Or should car companies be required to insert devices that will check your sobriety before you're allowed to get behind the wheel?

U.S. lawmakers want the auto industry step up to help prevent drunk driving.  New legislation introduced by Senators Tom Udall and Rick Scott would give government-led researchers $10 million to develop air and touch sensors that could tell if a driver was too drunk to be behind the wheel.

The Reduce Impaired Driving for Everyone Act, or RIDE Act, would also set aside $25 million for the technology to be first tested in government vehicles.  The NHTSA says that drunk driving accounts for 1/3 of all traffic deaths.

NPR talked to experts in the auto industry that say that the technology to detect a drunk driver without the driving actually doing anything isn't quite there yet, but breathalyzers are more streamlined than ever before.

Would you support the RIDE Act?  Do you see any privacy concerns with sensors that can detect your blood alcohol level in your car?   Are there other ways that the government or the auto industry could help prevent drunk driving?

 

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