New law requires cars to be equipped with anti-drink tech

Drunk driving is a major cause of road deaths around the world and it’s a severe road offence in most countries. In South Africa, it will soon be illegal to drive a vehicle after having even one drink. Meanwhile, in the United States a recently proposed law states that new cars should be equipped with breath-sniffing sensors and finger-scanning detectors to help fight drunk driving.

However, the new US law is spurring tough questions about what technology should be trusted to do. The technology in question is a collaboration between carmakers and regulators that has been under development since 2008.

As part of the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety (DADSS), researchers have developed tiny vent-like sensors that draw in a driver's exhaled breath and test it. Another innovation measures blood alcohol levels under the skin's surface by shining an infrared-light through the person's fingertip when the driver pushes the ignition button.

Anti-cheat functions are built into the system, which could prevent the car from starting or keep it from moving for drivers over the blood alcohol limit.

• Many critics see this as a worrying erosion of privacy
• Technology could be faulty. Maybe you use mouthwash before driving and the car won’t start. Or alternatively, you drink too many and the car does not detect anything
• In the United States, it is unconstitutional to have cars monitored by the government

Ultimately it is up to American regulators to decide what could become international precedent-setting rules. They have around three years to make a final decision.

The new Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (Aarto) system will come fully into effect by July 2022. Under the new system, drivers receive demerits for traffic infringements or offences.

Actual fines and demerit points have not yet been gazetted but guidelines indicate that if caught driving under the influence, a fine will be determined by the court and the driver could receive up to six demerit points. However, when it comes to drunk driving, motorists will still face criminal punishment. The license is suspended once the driver accumulates 15 points.