A broad range of safety, auto, insurance and alcohol industry groups and companies has called on the US Congress to pass legislation to provide funding for an advanced drunk driving detection research programme. They claim it could lead to more than 8,000 fewer highway fatalities each year and a nationwide economic cost saving of approximately US$130 billion annually. In a letter to House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee the groups called for inclusion of the ROADS SAFE (Research of Alcohol Detect
      
  
           
                          
                April 17, 2012
              
            
                          
                Read time: 2 mins
              
                    
                A broad range of safety, auto, insurance and alcohol industry groups and companies has called on the 2018   US Congress to pass legislation to provide funding for an advanced drunk driving detection research programme. They claim it could lead to more than 8,000 fewer highway fatalities each year and a nationwide economic cost saving of approximately US$130 billion annually.
 
In a letter to House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee the groups called for inclusion of the ROADS SAFE (Research of Alcohol Detection Systems for Stopping Alcohol-related Fatalities Everywhere) legislation in the safety portion of the surface transportation measure under development by the Committee.
 
The letter states that the legislation "would authorise the transfer of currently unused safety funds at a rate of $12 million annually for five years to support and expand the ongoing DADSS (Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety) research programme currently being undertaken by the834   National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and leading automakers.
 
"The goal of this research programme is to develop a publicly-supported technology for vehicles that will instantaneously and passively detect if a driver is drunk (above the legal limit of .08 BAC) and prevent the vehicle from starting. The technology must also be extremely accurate, inexpensive and a non-invasive optional safety feature," the letter adds.
 
Groups and companies on the letter are4939   AAA, 4940   Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, 2094   Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, 4941   Allstate Insurance, 4942   American Academy of Pediatrics, 4944   American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, 4956   American Automotive Policy Council, 4957   American Highway Users Alliance, 4945   American International Automobile Dealers Association, 4626   American Trucking Association, 4946   Association of Global Automakers, 4947   Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, 4948   Governors Highway Safety Association, 4949   Mothers Against Drunk Driving, 4950   National Association of Minority Automobile Dealers, 4951   National Beer Wholesalers Association, 4952   National Organizations for Youth Safety, 4953   National Safety Council, 4954   Nationwide Insurance, 4955   Safe Kids USA, 2192   State Farm Mutual Insurance Company, The 4958   Century Council and 4959   Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America.
      
    In a letter to House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee the groups called for inclusion of the ROADS SAFE (Research of Alcohol Detection Systems for Stopping Alcohol-related Fatalities Everywhere) legislation in the safety portion of the surface transportation measure under development by the Committee.
The letter states that the legislation "would authorise the transfer of currently unused safety funds at a rate of $12 million annually for five years to support and expand the ongoing DADSS (Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety) research programme currently being undertaken by the
"The goal of this research programme is to develop a publicly-supported technology for vehicles that will instantaneously and passively detect if a driver is drunk (above the legal limit of .08 BAC) and prevent the vehicle from starting. The technology must also be extremely accurate, inexpensive and a non-invasive optional safety feature," the letter adds.
Groups and companies on the letter are
    
        



