SPOKANE, Wash. — The Washington Traffic Safety Commission launched a new initiative aimed at putting an end to drunk driving.
The Driven to Protect initiative supports the development and testing of the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety. This is a new system designed to detect when a driver’s blood alcohol concentration is at or above the legal limit.
If the driver is past that limit, this technology would prevent the car from operating.
“In Washington, we are driven by the belief that no loss of life on our roadways is acceptable,” said Shelly Baldwin, Director of the Washington Traffic Safety Commission. “Through Driven to Protect | Washington, we are advancing a technology with the power to stop drunk driving before it starts and save thousands of lives in the U.S. every year.”
WTSC says over the past decade, alcohol-related traffic deaths in Washington have increased by 91%. Drunk driving is still the leading cause of traffic deaths across the country.
In 2023, 27% of all roadway fatalities involved a drunk driver.
As part of this initiative, the Washington State Department of Transportation volunteered to install the technology in three fleet vehicles. WTSC says this will help improve the technology for future development in passenger vehicles.
The technology uses infrared light to analyze a driver’s breath and determine whether alcohol is present. It is currently in pilot testing and being engineered to distinguish between the driver and passengers to provide accurate, reliable results.
WTSC will also lead to outreach and education efforts across the state to help residents better understand how the technology works and why it’s needed to help prevent impaired driving fatalities.
To learn more about this initiative, click here.
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