FUTURE VEHICLES COULD BE CAPABLE OF MONITORING BAC LEVELS

In Sweden, the government appears to be moving towards legislation that would require an alcohol interlock device after a DUI conviction, in all public transportation vehicles and eventually in all new vehicles.

The car manufacturers have also been responding. Volvo, a Swedish car manufacturer, currently provides an interlock option on most of its new vehicles. Toyota and Nissan have been experimenting with tissue spectrometry (skin sensors which measure a person's BAC). Toyota is working towards putting this type of sensor in the steering wheel and Nissan has already developed a concept car with the sensor built into the gear shift. Nissan is also working with offset distant spectrometry devices (alcohol sniffers) which are placed in the vicinity of the driver. Researchers in Russia have developed technology which can detect alcohol vapours in a vehicle by shooting laser beams. Alcohol Detection Technologies Present and Future