Driver alcohol detection system ready for automakers after decade of research
Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety (ACTS) President and CEO Rob Strassburger recently demonstrated Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety (DADSS) technology, which uses sensors to determine a driver’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC).
Strassburger shows The Detroit News how the sensor is mounted with a screen behind the steering wheel. He blows at the screen, and it indicates he has no BAC. If the screen turned red, it would indicate his BAC is above the legal limit to drive.
He said vehicle manufacturers and “eventually the government” will determine what intervention needs to take place when the device detects an illegal BAC.
The technology is ready to go to auto manufacturers after more than 10 years of research, Strassburger told The Detroit News.
The article says the technology comes as new optimism is stirring, centered around a 2021 congressional directive to mandate anti-drunk driving technology in vehicles. The Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has already missed a deadline to draft rules on the target.
Automakers, through ACTS, have joined NHTSA in a public-private partnership to design the technology through the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety program.
A website for the program states the mission is a collaborative research effort to invent, test, and deploy new alcohol detection technologies for widespread use in future vehicles.
“The goal is to advance the existing state of alcohol detection systems by developing a first-of-its-kind technology that can passively detect when a driver is under the influence of alcohol,” the website says. “The technology is being designed to measure and precisely quantify a driver’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and, if it is at or above the legal limit — 0.08 in most states — prevent a vehicle from moving. This breakthrough technology is designed to be fast, accurate, reliable, and affordable — all without affecting normal driving behavior.”
The hope is that the program can one day eliminate drunk driving, which is the No. 1 cause of fatalities in the U.S., the website says.
According to the website, two different technologies are being developed.
The first is the breath system, which Strassburger demonstrated. The website describes it as a passive way to quantify alcohol in a non-invasive way. It says a driver can breathe normally while sitting in the seat.
“Sensors in the vehicle cabin draw in the driver’s naturally exhaled breath, measuring the alcohol concentration through infrared light,” the website says. “Unlike existing breathalyzers, a forced deep lung sample into a mouthpiece is not required, making the system seamless and tamperproof. The breath system is also being designed to distinguish between the driver’s breath and any passengers.”
Another option would be a touch system that uses tissue spectroscopy to measure blood alcohol levels under the skin’s surface. It uses infrared light that shines into the driver’s fingertip or palm.
“It is being designed to take multiple, accurate readings in a matter of seconds,” the website says. “While final locations are still being determined, it will likely be integrated into current vehicle controls, such as the gear shift, starter button, or steering wheel.”
A deadline for making passive breath sensors available to OEMs for consumer vehicles was set for this year. There is no date for making passive touch sensors available.
“After the technology is made available to vehicle manufacturers, it will take at least one to two years for the system to appear in consumer vehicles because automakers need time to integrate the system into each different make and model in their own unique way,” the website says. “The technology will be made available globally, and it will be up to each vehicle manufacturer to determine when and how the technology will be integrated in future vehicles.”
Images
Photo courtesy of the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety program.