Push for drink-driving tech in cars
IT COULD only be a matter of time before every Australian car is fitted with drink-driving prevention technology if the nation follows America’s lead.
Every new car sold in the US will need to have advanced drink and impaired driving prevention technology by 2027 after a massive Bill passed Congress last year.
It has sparked debate on when a similar system will be introduced here, with a 2020 research report saying vehicle-based systems that prevent alcohol-impaired driving should be fast-tracked.
While an illegal blood alcohol concentration limit has been in place for more than 30 years, data from The Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety – Queensland in 2016 showed drink-driving was the No.1 contributing factor in about 30 per cent of fatal crashes.
Associate Professor Michael Fitzharris from the Monash University Accident Research Centre said the technology going into American cars did more than just test for alcohol and drugs.
“This technology will not just look at drink-driving but attention, drowsiness, distraction and so on,” Mr Fitzharris said.
It is a move Australians seemingly want after a survey last year found more than 50 per cent of respondents were in favour of having a drink-driving prevention device fitted to their car.