Guest Column: New technology could stop most drunk driving 

Published 11:08 am Monday, January 5, 2026

What if a new technology could save thousands of lives and put a stop to most drunk driving?

Peggy Glass, a court monitoring specialist for Mothers Against Drunk Driving in Oregon, brought up the tech when I was speaking with her. It is called impaired driver detection. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety estimates it could save more than 10,000 lives a year if it is implemented in all new cars.

Companies are already refining the technology. A driver would be able to start their car. If the car’s sensors detected alcohol levels in the driver over the legal limit, drivers would not be able to shift their cars out of park.

How would detection work?

One way could be detecting alcohol in the driver’s breath. The driver would breathe normally as they get in their car — no blowing in a tube. A sensor would capture a sample and run a quick test. A camera could be used to ensure it was actually the driver’s breath.

Another technique would be to analyze alcohol levels below a driver’s skin by shining an infrared light on various vehicle controls through their fingertips or palm.

The goal is to have any test completed in a matter of seconds, no matter the technology.

Accuracy issues

How accurate would it be?

It would not be perfect. I saw some claims of 98% accuracy. There are things that could confound results. A convertible with the top down may dilute a breath sample. Ethyl alcohol in mouthwash or hand sanitizer might trip up testing.

What would happen if the car found the driver with alcohol levels over the legal limit?

A retest seems obvious. Then what? What if a driver still tests over the limit? Would drivers not be able to drive? That’s going to be tricky.

When the federal government required drivers to fasten their seat belts before a car could start, Americans revolted. Some cut the sensors from their cars. What was called the seat belt interlock was supposed to go into effect for all new cars sold after Aug. 15, 1973. After a flood of letters opposing the regulation, Congress repealed it in 1974.

What we have, instead, on most cars is that persistent chime or bell that reminds drivers to buckle up. That could be where the federal government would land for new technology for impaired driver detection.

How much would it cost to add this to new cars?

That’s not clear to me. Some estimates are at least $200 per vehicle.

Is this technology really coming?

Maybe.

The Biden administration’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 required the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to create a rule mandating that new vehicles have technology to detect impaired drivers by 2026. The NHTSA solicited comments on potential rules.

Trump’s view?

Will the Trump administration move forward?

I don’t know. I couldn’t find any clear indication. It seems highly unlikely that it would be required by 2026. I don’t know if it is relevant, but President Trump does not drink. His brother, Fred Trump Jr., died of a heart attack related to his alcohol use.

It’s important to note a few things that often come up. The government is not picking a particular technology. It is looking for technologies that satisfy requirements and accomplish the goal. A second concern is privacy. For instance, would a driver’s failed tests be broadcast anywhere, such as to insurers? The idea is systems would be self-contained in the cars and data would not be shared.

The other related concern is that the technology would enable law enforcement to remotely disable a vehicle. That is not the plan.

I do wonder what becomes of drivers with false positive readings for high blood alcohol. Will they be stranded? If there is only a chime in the car that rings for 10 or so seconds after repeated positive readings, that could mean drunk drivers would still be driving.

I also wonder what sort of defense drivers may feel they have if they are pulled over and found to be driving impaired, when their car did not detect it. And of course, the technology would not detect other forms of intoxication, though some technologies try to do that as well.

If you get a chance to ask a candidate for Congress some questions, how they feel about implementing impaired driver tech could be a good issue to raise.

Richard Coe is the editorial page editor for The Bulletin. He can be reached at Richard.coe@bendbulletin.com.