This past week, law enforcement, first responders, engineers and other traffic safety advocates gathered here in Roanoke to discuss road safety in Virginia. It was easy to fill three days with discussions on emerging challenges and shared successes – but some of the biggest threats to road safety remain the familiar ones: including drunk driving.

The toll of alcohol-impaired driving remains agonizingly static both nationally and here in the Commonwealth. In fact, data from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) shows that while overall fatalities in the Commonwealth were down in 2018, alcohol-related fatalities were on the rise; Virginia reported 278 alcohol-impaired driving deaths in 2018, compared with 248 fatalities in 2017. Drunk driving was responsible for more than 30 percent of Virginia’s total traffic fatalities last year, as well as more than 4,475 injuries. We refuse to let tragic statistics like these become the norm.

That’s why the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety (DADSS) Program – and the leading automakers that I represent through the Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety (ACTS) – are proud to partner with the Virginia DMV on the Driven to Protect Initiative. Driven to Protect is working to advance a first-of-its-kind technological solution to help end drunk driving: passive alcohol sensors with the ability to unobtrusively and precisely measure the blood alcohol level of a driver. If the sensor detects a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher – the legal limit in the Commonwealth – the vehicle will start but not move. It is a game-changing idea that will provide a valuable new safety resource – whether you’re a parent looking out for your young driver or a manager of a company fleet hoping to reduce liability and keep your workers safe.

Through my role as the president and CEO of ACTS, I have been shepherding the alcohol detection technology as it has grown from an initial sketch on the back of a napkin to a working prototype. It was my great pleasure to see this prototype roll out for the first time on Virginia roads. Virginia was a natural fit to support the first in-vehicle tests of the DADSS technology, given its steadfast commitment to traffic safety and equally strong support for emerging technologies. We found a great partner in James River Transportation (JRT), a family-owned transportation company that has served Virginians for nearly 100 years. Beginning in August 2018, JRT drivers and fleet vehicles have helped the DADSS engineers get one step closer to making this technology road-ready by providing 43,342 miles, 4,217 operational hours, and 22,770 breath samples’ worth of data. Once the technology has met rigorous performance standards, it will be integrated into vehicles by automobile manufacturers and offered to consumers as an optional safety feature, similar to other driver assist systems such as automatic braking or lane departure warning.

Virginia is leading the nation with Driven to Protect and the effort to help finally solve the intractable problem of drunk driving. We’re excited for the future in which this technology is commercially available and seamlessly integrated into vehicles. Together, we can save lives and invent a world without drunk driving.

Strassburger is President and CEO of the Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety. Strassburger is also Vice President, Vehicle Safety & Harmonization for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, Inc., a national trade association of twelve car and light truck manufacturers.

Strassburger: A high-tech solution to the problem of drunk driving

The Driven to Protect Initiative and Virginia DMV presented new alcohol detection technology at Wednesday’s highway safety summit.

The technology has the capability of sensing someone’s alcohol level simply by inspecting the air in the car.

The sensor is located on the driver’s side so it will only sense the driver’s blood alcohol concentration level. If over the legal limit, the car will remain stationary, preventing the driver from traveling. Some believe it could make roadways safer.

“This program has the capability to prevent a drunk driver from driving. This doesn’t have to do with persuading people not to drive. This could prevent people from driving if they’re drunk,” says George Bishop, deputy commissioner for the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.

The technology could be ready for fleet use by 2021, and for consumer use by 2023.

New vehicle alcohol detection technology showcased at highway safety summit

ROANOKE, Va. (WSET) — A new technology aims to create a world where drunk driving is no longer possible.

According to the DMV – 278 people died last year in alcohol-related crashes in Virginia.

This new technology – in the form of small sensors – have a lot of power behind them.

“This would prevent someone who made a bad decision from actually getting on the road,” said George Bishop, deputy commissioner of the Virginia DMV.

In just seconds, it measures the driver’s blood alcohol concentration as he or she breathes naturally.

This technology is called the Driver Alcohol Detection System or DADSS.

Virginia is the first in the country to put this on the roads.

“They needed some way to just get the technology out there and test it in real conditions,” said Stephen Story, President of James River Transportation, a charter bus company.

He says he knows his drivers don’t drink, but this is the perfect way to give DADSS the samples they need.

“Some drivers have different breaths – they might blow a little easier a little harder so it just gives them a lot of data,” said Story.

In the end, giving them twenty thousand samples to improve their technology.

“They can make the technology into a safety package that the public would buy when they buy a vehicle,” said Bishop.

They’re partners with the Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety, a group of all major automobile manufacturers helping to get DADSS in all cars in the US – making everyone the roads safer.

Officials say they hope to have this technology in fleet vehicles by the end of next year and for consumers – by 2024.

New technology keeps drunk drivers from driving

The Driven to Protect team had the pleasure of attending the 2019 Donate Life Virginia appreciation event held for employees of the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. The event was to recognize employees for their role in saving lives by increasing the numbers of Virginians willing to become eye, organ and tissue donors.

During the event, we were able to inform and educate Virginia DMV employees about the DMV’s impactful partnership with the DADSS Program through the Driven to Protect Initiative. DMV employees had the opportunity to engage directly with the latest DADSS Technology. The demonstration vehicle was on site and attendees were excited to see the technology in action. Many people asked questions to learn more about the DADSS Program and shared their stories of how DUIs have impacted their own lives and those of their families.

Driven to Protect at Virginia DMV Donate Life Event

The Driven to Protect team participated in the 2019 Mid-Atlantic DUI Conference in Virginia Beach, Virginia. During the event, attendees learned about the DADSS Program, the progress being made on the in-vehicle technology, and how the Virginia DMV is participating in the Driven to Protect Initiative.

The annual Mid-Atlantic DUI Conference brings together law enforcement and safety stakeholders to discuss the latest updates on combating drunk and drugged driving. Law enforcement officials, litigators, and other stakeholders had the opportunity to receive a demonstration and interact with the latest alcohol-sensor technology.

To really drive home the devastating effects of impaired driving, conference attendees heard from guest speaker Tammy Duffy. Tammy spoke about losing her teenage daughter Kaitlyn in a fatal crash caused by a drunk driver and the lasting impact the tragedy has had on her family. Her reflection gave a somber reminder of the crucial problem that DADSS and Driven to Protect, along with the many safety officials and advocates in attendance, are working to solve.

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Strassburger: A high-tech solution to the problem of drunk driving

New vehicle alcohol detection technology showcased at highway safety summit

New technology keeps drunk drivers from driving

Driven to Protect at Virginia DMV Donate Life Event

Driven to Protect at 2019 Mid-Atlantic DUI Conference