Autoliv developing automatic in-car breathalyzer

According to stats compiled by the American National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, about a third of all traffic fatalities involved someone officially classified as driving under the influence – and that percentage goes back at least a decade. No surprise then that various inventions, from Saab's Alcokey and Nissan's breathalyzer interlock to third-party wares like JATY's breathalyzer and nav system and A&A's Alco-watch have been working on a way to prevent drivers from even getting the car started when they're over the .08 BAC limit.

Yet those all require the driver to perform some action, like breathing into a tube, before a corrective action can be taken. Swedish saftey system manufacturer Autoliv, however, is working on a passive system that will measure the driver's BAC automatically "when the driver gets in the car." The company CEO said a production version is still five years away, which suggests that widespread adoption could come just about the time optimists suggest that autonomous vehicles will also be working to make DUI fatalities just a memory.

News Source: Automotive News Europe - sub. req.

Image Credit: Autoliv