A Boston defense contractor is testing a next generation ignition interlock device that the federal government hopes could someday become as standard in new vehicles as seat belts and airbags, the Boston Globe reported.
An experienced Fort Lauderdale DUI defense lawyer understands the many reasons such a system will not succeed -- not the least of which are the gross privacy violations inherent in forcing every motorists to submit to a breath test each time they climb behind the wheel.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is spending $10 million on the study and believes the technology could save as many as 9,000 of the 11,000 motorists who are killed each year as a result of accidents involving alcohol. An early version of the system is undergoing testing under a 5-year contract with a Waltham defense contractor. Those tests are scheduled to come to an end in 2013.
Congress is considering appropriating another $10 million even as critics voice concerns over privacy and the cost and maintenance involved.
More rudimentary systems exist in the form of ignition interlock devices, which require some DUI offenders to pass a breath test before their car will start. The new system would reportedly test a driver's blood-alcohol level with the push of a button. Designers hope to create a system that will work without a driver's active involvement.
One hurdle is cost. Another is size -- the test models are the size of a shoe box or larger.
Reliability could also be an issue -- defective devices could seriously inconvenience sober motorists and could even cause a safety issue.
Fort Lauderdale DUI Attorney Carlos Canet is an aggressive and experienced drunk driving defense attorney, representing clients facing DUI charges in Fort Lauderdale, Miami and West Palm Beach. Call 866-7ASKDUI to discuss your rights.
