In August 2019, the state of Maryland announced the launch of a new traffic safety partnership between the Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration (MDOT MVA) and the Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety (ACTS) and its Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety Research Program (DADSS Research Program), known as Driven to Protect | Maryland. Through the Driven to Protect initiative, Maryland is supporting the advancement of the DADSS alcohol detection sensor technology.
As part of the initiative, the DADSS Research Program has integrated advanced prototype breath alcohol detection sensors into seven of the MDOT MVA fleet vehicles. Not only are these on-road vehicles giving MDOT MVA staff first-hand experience with the prototype sensors, they are also providing researchers and engineers with invaluable information about how the prototype sensors perform in real-world scenarios. In just the first few months of on-road testing, more than 8,500 breath samples have been collected.
The DADSS Research Program is assessing the usability of the DADSS breath sensors and will compare the data gathered from the MDOT MVA fleet to lab, human subject, and other pilot test data. Furthermore, through additional on-road testing, DADSS will gather driver-sensor interface (DVI) feedback focused on ease of use and optimal positioning of the sensors. Driven to Protect | Maryland’s commitment to testing this life-saving technology is helping to bring the initiative one step closer to preventing drunk driving on Maryland roads.