Lawmakers Looking To Require Automakers to Install In-Car Breathalyzers

In 2017 alone, nearly 11,000 died due to drunk drivers on the road. That’s about one death every 48 minutes. A proposal backed by the Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is hoping to lower that number.

The Washington Post reports that a proposed bill would require automakers to equip new vehicles with breathalyzers as standard safety tech like they do with reverse cameras, seat belts, and airbags.

The devices would be based on current breathalyzer technology. If the driver’s blood-alcohol level was determined to be beyond the legal limit, the system would prevent the car from starting or lockout the transmission shifter.

Since the proposal, several senators and safe-driving advocate groups have backed the pitch. So far, pilot programs have launched in Virginia and Maryland.