In early June, the DADSS Research Program participated in the 26th International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (ESV) in Eindhoven, Netherlands.

This bi-annual conference, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), is designed to share innovative advances in motor vehicle safety and encourage international cooperation among the global community.

The DADSS Program was well-represented at ESV: five technical papers were submitted and five presentations were made by the program leaders, technology developers and partners. This included a status update by DADSS Program & Technical Manager Bud Zaouk of KEA Technologies Inc.; an introduction and update on the DADSS Field Operational Trials by Michael Willis of KEA Technologies Inc.; an introduction and update on the DADSS-VA Pilot Deployment Project by Remi Fournier of KEA Technologies Inc.; a presentation by Jonas Ljungblad of Senseair on the breath-based system; and finally, new findings on the human subject testing results being conducted by Dr. Scott Lukas of the Harvard Medical School-affiliated McLean Hospital.

Several prototypes were on display in the Exhibit Hall, where representatives from the Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety (ACTS), KEA Technologies Inc., and Senseair helped showcase the technology and discuss the program’s progress to date.

For more information about the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (ESV) conference, visit 

DADSS Research Program at the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles Technical Conference

On June 12, 2019, the Driven to Protect team attended the Ft. Belvoir Safety Day Trade Show in Ft. Belvoir, Virginia.

The ACTS team displayed two demonstration vehicles and provided information regarding Driven to Protect. We demonstrated the latest alcohol detection technology to military personnel, civilian contract workers, and base residents. Attendees had the opportunity to interact with the technology, learn about the program history and the Virginia DMV’s role in safety and support for the Driven to Protect Initiative.

Event attendees that visited the Driven to Protect display and vehicles were very enthusiastic about the technology and program mission. Our interactions with attendees led to discussions around the stigma of interlock use in public. Through our conversations, we learned that attendees view the DADSS technology favorably because our non-invasive and concealed alcohol sensor is more discreet and appealing.

We enjoyed interacting with the Safety Day event attendees and sharing more about Driven to Protect!

Driven to Protect Ft. Belvoir Day Trade Show

The Driven to Protect team had the honor of attending the 2019 Virginia Highway Safety Summit in Roanoke, Virginia.

The event served as an opportunity to inform Highway safety leaders, transportation professionals, DUI Enforcement Officers, and Traffic safety advocates about the latest DADSS work in Virginia. They were also able to participate in demonstrations of the technology, interact with prototype sensors, and see how the VA DMV is participating in Driven to Protect Program initiatives.

While at the conference, local news stations WSET and WFXR had the chance to interview George Bishop, Deputy Commissioner of the Virginia DMV, and Stephen Story, President of James River Transportation—who also received an award for their role in Driven to Protect. You can see the coverage at the link below:

New technology keeps drunk drivers from driving

 by Colin Schwager & Cynthia Beasley | 5/22/19

New vehicle alcohol detection technology showcased at highway safety summit

2019 Virginia Highway Safety Summit

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.

Home

Program Overview

Breath Technology

Touch Technology

Supporters

Resources

Events

Publications

Driven To Protect

Virginia

Maryland

December Event

Fleets

News

Discovery Hub

News & Updates

DADSS Research Program at the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles Technical Conference

Driven to Protect Ft. Belvoir Day Trade Show

2019 Virginia Highway Safety Summit

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

New vehicle alcohol detection technology showcased at highway safety summit