New Alcohol Detection Tech in the Works

Since decades of motorized law enforcement have done little to limit the aftermath of driving under the influence of alcohol (according to a World Health Organization (WHO) statistic, half a million people are killed each year in crashes caused by drunk driving), automotive suppliers have been trying for the past ten years or so, with various degrees of success, to develop an on-board anti-alcohol cop.

Most such alcohol detection systems work, but they still lack both the attributes and the legislation to make them mandatory. Of course, legislation is out of the reach of the suppliers, but this doesn't mean they'll stop trying to develop a better system.

This week, supplier Takata announced it had partnered with TruTouch Technologies to jointly develop a new non-invasive alcohol detection to help reduce that awful number listed in WHO's books.

So far, the details of the project have not been revealed, but the system will be, for now, limited to the use in heavy machinery. The system will, however, be created in such a way that it will be compliant with several rules and regulations, including Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety (DADSS).

"TruTouch has proven the capabilities and integrity of the light-based alcohol detection system, and together, we plan to integrate the user-friendly and cost-effective technology into automotive applications,” said Robert Fisher, vice president of Takata's division TK Holdings.

"This partnership will advance the commercialization of these systems, bringing us closer to our vision of a day of zero fatalities due to automotive accidents."