Today, the Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety (ACTS) issued the following statement on new data released by the U.S. Department of Transportation through the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) showing a 1.1 percent decrease in alcohol-related traffic fatalities from 2016 to 2017:
“We are pleased that alcohol-related driving fatalities have fallen from last year. However, the families and loved ones of the 10,874 individuals who lost their lives to drunk driving in 2017 are reminded daily of their loss,” said Robert Strassburger, President & CEO. “This is why ACTS remains focused, through the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety (DADSS) Program, on developing new and innovative solutions that will save lives by ensuring that drivers over the legal limit cannot drive. We expect all drivers will one day choose to have that degree of certainty when they get behind the wheel.”
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.
For more information about the DADSS program, visit www.dadss.org.