Breathalyzers and Cars

Faith Lowe
Oct. 20, 2011
Should Cars be Equipped with Breathalyzers? According to information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there are approximately 17,000 people killed by drunk drivers every year. Drunk drivers whose alcohol level is above .08. Most drunk drivers involved in fatality crashes are repeated offenders. In fact nearly half of the fatal crashes were cars driven by drunk drivers with a suspended license. They often slip through the cracks with a slap on the wrist, possibly privileged license, and probation. Sometimes you have offenders that have their license suspended but drive anyway or at least until they are caught. It would be nice to know that if they are driving without a license they would at least be sober. When you think about the statistics of how many innocent people lose their lives every year, installing breathalyzers doesn’t seem like a bad idea. The breathalyzer is an ignition interlock device that will test a driver’s breath to determine their blood alcohol level. This device requires the driver to blow into a small hand held unit that is attached to the dashboard. The device has an alcohol sensor that records a digital reading of one’s alcohol blood level. If the driver’s blood alcohol level is above a preset point, then the vehicle cannot be started. According to a Hamilton County, Ohio study, repeated DWI offenders were reduced by 65% when the ignition interlock is used on offender’s vehicles. There are forty seven states that currently have laws where when a driver is convicted of DUI or DWI, they may be forced to install the breathalyzer in their vehicle. In eight of these states the installation of a breathalyzer is mandatory for a first time offender. As for Alabama, South Dakota and Vermont these three states do not enforce these laws when it comes to drinking and driving. The state of New Mexico was the first to mandate the interlock installation system for first time DUI offenders. As an incentive to persuade state’s congressional representatives the governor of New Mexico has partnered up with the MADD involving a public relations campaign to withhold federal highway funds from states that do not mandate the interlock system for first time offenders. Meanwhile among this wandering question, motor vehicle manufacturers, the federal government , and the institute to oversee development of advanced in-vehicle detection technologies are underway with research and development that would be a solution to the drinking and driving. Their goal is to develop a device that will accurately, quickly, and simply measure the blood alcohol content through sensors. These sensors may be in the steering wheel, brake shift, door handle or anywhere the skin would come in contact. This would seem to be a hassle free solution to the sober drivers so that they do not have to take time out to perform a task before they start their car. They are also looking to develop devices that would measure ambient air inside the vehicle. Ford, GM, Toyota, BMW and Mercedes are already in the works for developing a device that would measure blood alcohol through the skin or perspiration or even light off a driver’s retina. Of course their oppositions to breathalyzers being on all vehicles. I am sure there some out there that would question whether it is an invasion of one’s privacy. Then there is the cost, how much more will it increase the price of the new vehicles that would be manufactured with it already installed and how much will it cost to install them in older vehicles. Will insurance rates go down? What about people with asthma, if it is a device you have to blow into will they have a problem getting their car started. Then there is the point of if the car stalls and cuts off in the middle of traffic is it going to pose a problem because you have to wait 30 seconds before starting