Drug and Alcohol Detectors Could be in All Future New Cars
With the government already doing its best to regulate many parts of our lives, they may be just about to extend that one step further via drug and alcohol detectors in all future new cars.
Hot on the heels of speed limiters, which look set to become a standard item in the not too distant future, government officials are taking a liking to the guidelines set out by the United Nations for compulsory safety devices that should feature in all new cars.
Local interest comes as the European Union looks set to implement these guidelines as early as 2022. That’s right, in just a couple of years, drug and alcohol detectors may well become standard in every new car across Europe.
With the technology still under development, there is no ‘sure’ indication at this stage. However, with Australia often seen following in the footsteps of the international community for road safety practices, the odds are certainly pointing to a similar roll-out in Australia sooner or later.
Is there a societal dilemma?
Many motorists are likely to be shocked by the potential measure, with such requirements sure to draw the ire of those who value their driving flexibility and independence, without the state being required to intervene and tell them otherwise.
Sure, the intentions behind this sort of technology are positive. After all, as much as a quarter of all deaths on the road involve motorists under the influence of alcohol. No one is doubting the tragic circumstances that entail a vast proportion of road trauma connected to one form of illicit substance or another.
However, what is likely to be a point of consternation is the fact that law-abiding citizens will need to have the government effectively police them when they are already in control of their own actions.
How would the technology work?
Picturing the scene, by now you’re probably imagining some sort of breathalyser device that you would need to engage with every time you step into the car, right? Fortunately, the technology under development is expected to be far more sophisticated and ‘seamless’ than that.
It would rely on sensors affixed to the inside of the driver’s side door and on the steering wheel. These sensors, which would be configured to focus solely on the driver, would use infrared light to detect whether any ethanol or carbon dioxide is being picked up in the air from your breath.
But while this is the end goal, in the meantime, no one can say with any certainty that the government won’t instead opt for more ‘established’ technology in the form of those interlock systems, or sensor pads that assess the presence of illicit substances via ‘touch’.
But at the end of the day, with various pieces of technology under trial locally right now, it is looking less likely to be a case of if something will be done, and rather a case of when will the government intervene in our lives once again?
Level 2, 9 Help Street