US Congress mandates vehicle tech to combat drink-driving

The United States Congress has announced a controversial mandate for new cars to be fitted with anti-drink-driving technology, potentially for all road users.

Set to be introduced from 2026, the mandate is a part of a US$1 trillion (AU$1.37tn) infrastructure package from the Biden Administration, targeting a reduction in traffic fatalities and making the roads safer.

According to US News, the legislation will require automotive manufacturers to implement technology in their vehicles to reduce the likelihood of intoxicated drivers getting on the road, or at least minimise the risk when they do.

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It's unclear as to how such a technology will be implemented or enforced, whether it will simply be the addition of ignition lock breathalysers in the vehicle or through the use of driver-monitoring tech – the latter of which already exists to monitor a driver's alertness in most level two driver assist systems.

The United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has said roughly 20,160 people have died in traffic incidents throughout the first six months of 2021, the highest six-month total since 2006.

In the US alone, around 30 per cent of all road fatalities are due to drink-driving-related traffic incidents, with roughly 10,000 people killed annually – a number which rose by nine per cent last year.

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Volvo has previously suggested its future models could be fitted with cameras and sensors to detect whether the person behind the wheel is intoxicated, potentially bringing the car to a stop if need be.

While no blanket blood alcohol concentration (BAC) law exists in the US, a majority of states have a maximum BAC limit of 0.08 per cent, a 0.03 increase on the highest legal BAC in Australia.

Locally, fully licensed drivers must have a BAC below 0.05 per cent, but provisional and learner licence holders need to be totally sober – an approach which has been argued for all drivers over the years.

It's estimated drink-driving accounts for anywhere between 15 to 25 per cent of Australian traffic fatalities each year, although drug-driving has recently overtaken it for offences on the road.