Public supports alcohol detection devices in all vehicles, IIHS finds

Approximately two of three respondents to an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) survey said they like the idea of using advanced technology, assuming the technology is reliable, to stop drunk drivers from operating their vehicles.
A total of 1,004 people were surveyed in July 2009 as part of the IIHS’s first take on what people think about equipping all vehicles with alcohol detection devices that would be more sophisticated than the ignition interlocks in some vehicles today.
More than 40% of the respondents said they would want such devices in their own cars if offered as an option. Drinkers and non-drinkers alike favoured the concept, the IIHS reported.
Among the 33% of respondents who volunteered that they never drink, approval of the devices in all cars is at 74%. It’s still high, at 66%, among people who said they drink once a week. Even among people who said they drink four or more times a week, support for the devices is about 50%, the report found.
In the United States, most drivers involved in fatal crashes who had illegal blood alcohol levels hadn’t had a DUI conviction in the past three years. “If interlocks had been in all vehicles — not just those of prior offenders — to prevent driving above the legal limit, more than 8,000 lives could have been saved last year,” the IIHS suggested.
A major impediment is the interlock device itself, though.
Interlocks mandated for DUI offenders are “unwieldy and obtrusive,” said Anne McCartt, IIHS senior vice president for research.
“An alcohol detector that’s suitable for all drivers would have to be all but invisible and require virtually no upkeep. It would have to be quick and easy to use and provide accurate readings. No such device exists yet, but it’s being worked on.”