This past week, the U.S. Department of Transportation released the most recent Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) data showing an increase in alcohol-related traffic fatalities of 1.7 percent—from 10,320 in 2015 to 10,497—accounting for 28 percent of overall fatalities in 2016. DADSS Program & Technical Manager Dr. Bud Zaouk responded to the news by saying that “with alcohol-related fatalities on the rise, we are laser focused on making sure this life-saving technology becomes a reality. Reversing the deadly trend is exactly what motivates engineers and researchers to successfully complete this program in the coming years.”
The Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety (DADSS) Research Program is a public-private partnership between the Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety (ACTS), which represents the world’s leading automakers, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Public-private partnerships like DADSS have led to innovations that enhance our everyday lives, such as the internet, GPS and the microchip. The Program is researching a first-of-its-kind technology called the alcohol detection system that will detect when a driver is impaired with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) at or above 0.08%, and prevent a vehicle from moving.
To read the full FARS report, click here.