Agency: New Vehicles Would Need Devices to Prevent Drunk or Impaired Driving.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has initiated the process of implementing a federal safety standard that would require devices in all new passenger vehicles to prevent drunk or impaired driving. This requirement was included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed by Congress in 2021. The NHTSA is seeking information on the state of technology to detect impaired driving through an advance notice of proposed rule making. The regulation would establish standards for these devices once the technology is mature. In 2021, there were nearly 13,400 deaths and significant economic costs associated with drunk driving crashes. The NHTSA and a group of automakers are jointly funding research on alcohol monitoring systems that can automatically test a driver's breath for alcohol and prevent the vehicle from moving if the driver is impaired. Another company is also developing light technology to test for blood alcohol levels. The NHTSA and law enforcement agencies have announced their annual "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" enforcement campaign for the holiday season. [Extracted from the article]