NTSB recommends techniques to reduce drunk driving and speeding in new vehicles

The National Transportation Safety Board’s recommendation on alcohol impairment detection systems is on the way toward requirements, after Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Give the Department of Transportation three years to craft an authorization for such a feature in new vehicles. Plates Recommend From incentivizing smart speed adaptive systems, however, it has yet to gain broader federal support and could face resistance from American drivers accustomed to speed limits being enforced by law enforcement rather than the car itself.

The investigation into the California crash that killed nine people, including seven children, on New Year’s Day in 2021 led to recommendations on Tuesday, according to the NTSB. The agency said investigators “found that the SUV driver (involved in the accident) had a high rate of alcohol intoxication and was running at excessive speed.”

NTSB President Jennifer Homedy said Tuesday that the technologies “could prevent tens of thousands of deaths from driving and speed-related disabilities that we see in the United States annually.”

According to the NHTSA, 32 people die from alcohol-related crashes every day—more than 11,000 each year. It reported that deaths rose by 5% in 2021.

The NHTSA said in a statement Monday that it “has begun work to meet the requirements of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act to establish rules regarding advanced immobilized driving technology in vehicles.”

These technologies include cameras and sensors outside the vehicle that monitor driving performance, cameras and sensors inside the vehicle that monitor the driver’s head and eyes, and alcohol sensors to determine if the driver is drunk and thus prevent the vehicle from moving.

The vehicles will be modified and installed in cars across a variety of city divisions, and will also be tested on 14 all-electric Ford Macks.

This story has been updated with a comment from NHTSA.