On August 15, Maryland launched a new partnership between the Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration (“MDOT MVA”) and the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety Research Program (“DADSS Research Program”), becoming the second state to join the Driven to Protect Initiative. Through Driven to Protect, Maryland is partnering with DADSS to help test life-saving, vehicle-integrated alcohol detection sensor technology on Maryland roads. Robert Strassburger, President & CEO of the Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety (“ACTS”), responded to the news on behalf of the DADSS Research Program.
“The DADSS Program is excited to partner with the MDOT MVA to help advance innovative technology that has the potential to eliminate drunk driving and safe lives. We look forward to a successful collaboration with Maryland through the Driven to Protect partnership, showcasing the state’s leadership in the fight against drunk driving and making a significant contribution towards commercializing DADSS technologies in the 2025 time frame.”
As part of Driven to Protect Initiative, the DADSS Research Program is integrating prototype DADSS breath-based alcohol detection sensors into eight of the MDOT MVA fleet vehicles, giving MVA staff first-hand experience with the technology as they drive these vehicles and providing Program researchers and engineers with invaluable information about how the prototype DADSS sensors perform in real-world operating conditions. MDOT MVA will also provide demonstrations of the technology to the public throughout Maryland.
The DADSS Research Program is a public-private partnership between 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 percent (0.08%) and prevent a vehicle from moving.
For more information about the partnership with Maryland, visit www.DrivenToProtect.org.