Filed under: Gadgets, Government/Legal, Japan, Safety, Tech, Nissan
Nissan developing drink-and-drive proof vehicles
According to recent reports, Nissan is developing an ignition interlock that would deter intoxicated individuals from starting their cars and possibly causing great bodily harm to themselves or innocent bystanders should they drive drunk. Several recent high-profile, alcohol-related accidents and fatalities in Japan have brought this issue to the forefront, and Nissan appears to be one of the first Japanese automakers to address the issue.In a meeting earlier this month, Nissan decided to follow a policy of incorporating anti-drunken driving mechanisms in future vehicles. Two such devices under consideration are a tube-like breathalyzer ignition interlock and a PIN keypad with a multi-digit code that might be tricky for an intoxicated individual to remember.
Devices such as these are readily available in the U.S. and Europe already and are often mandated for repeat DUI/DWI offenders. Anybody remember the 40-Year-Old Virgin's ride home from the bar? Although not a laughing matter, the scene points out the potential for bypassing such mechanisms so they shouldn't be considered foolproof by any means.
Although recent changes to Japanese law have seen fatal alcohol-related accidents decline substantially over the past 5 years, Nissan has had a running association with MADD as sponsor of their Strides for Change walkathon and seems determined to help reduce these types of tragedies. This year Nissan and MADD raised $2 million for the cause.
The number of fatalities from alcohol-related accidents has gone down significantly since the 1980's but with more than 16,000 such deaths in 2004, "drunk driving is the nation's most frequently committed violent crime," according to MADD.
[Sources: Drive, MADD]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
rwdmtparkingonly 12:42PM (9/15/2006)
Knocking it down to .08 really killed enforcement, cops don't want to test people now and be forced to book them on a .09.
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buddy 12:50PM (9/15/2006)
So, you're gonna have to blow on the alcohol thingie every single time you want to take a drive?
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Dave 12:56PM (9/15/2006)
I'd much rather them create a device that detects if you're using a cell phone and shuts the car down.
To be perfectly honest, I'd much rather be driving at 2 AM on a highway loaded with drunk drivers than at 11 AM on a highway loaded with soccer moms driving SUVs talking on cell phones.
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Tankstelle 12:58PM (9/15/2006)
Why would you do this voluntarily? Like it or not, but people drive all the time after a couple of beers at dinner or after the softball game or whatever. Given a choice b/t a vehicle with one of these or without, guess what one they're gonna choose.
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Ryan 1:09PM (9/15/2006)
Oh f$#@ that Nazi s!*@.
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Alvin 1:25PM (9/15/2006)
Okay, look, there is never any excuse for driving drunk - even "only a little bit drunk"...
While I wouldn't want one of these in my car (for the hassle factor - I never drive after even a small drink), the fact remains there are idiots out there who will continue to climb behind the wheel drunk off their *ss, kill innocent families/individuals due to their reckless behaviour, and yet you guys sit here and quibble about how drunk isn't that bad at all.
Sound like a bunch of drunks at 1:58 am to me.
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Dr. Woo 1:26PM (9/15/2006)
MADD can take a long drive off a short pier. They aren't anywhere near what they used to be, which was a solid, effective, honorable organization that truly cared about the number of drunk-driving incidents that occurred nationwide.
You can bet I won't buy a single vehicle with such a system if I have the choice. I'd never put my precious car in gear after having more alcohol than I know I can handle.
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Edsel 1:34PM (9/15/2006)
Easy solution: bring back Prohibition!
Government has regulated & taxed nicotine to near annihilation so why not do the same with alcohol?
Q. Do Muslim countries have drunk driving problems?
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DPC car videos 1:37PM (9/15/2006)
Great device for those planning to buy a car for their teenage kids.
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Ryan 1:41PM (9/15/2006)
"8. Easy solution: bring back Prohibition!
Government has regulated & taxed nicotine to near annihilation so why not do the same with alcohol?
Q. Do Muslim countries have drunk driving problems?
Posted at 1:34PM on Sep 15th 2006 by Edsel 0 stars"
-Yeah but you know what was legal during Prohibition?! Pass that BONG!!!! I'd be down for the switch.
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jack 1:53PM (9/15/2006)
"Anybody remember the 40-Year-Old Virgin's ride home from the bar? Although not a laughing matter, the scene points out the potential for bypassing such mechanisms so they shouldn't be considered foolproof by any means."
Bypassin the system huh? in a movie it might make sense. but in the real world? - ur gonna blow into this device so some drunk can drive you. . yeah that's a good idea hahha
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Ryan 2:02PM (9/15/2006)
You see my Dad use to have my sister and I wait in the parking lot (I'm 24) at the bar while he got drunk, then I would drive all of us home. I was 11 years old when I started doing that, and this I don't see working so long as you have a Dad that has an 11 year old willing to drive him home.
In fact, did my first "state-to-state" drive from Ohio to Indiana while my Dad cracked open one after another.
He always said HE would decide when his son was ready to drive, not the government. Just sucks the insurance companies don't count those years of my driving (11-15)!
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epp_b 2:18PM (9/15/2006)
Make an idiot-proof system, and someone will make a better idiot.
Look, Nissan, I like your cars and I have no problem with you trying to do society some good by keeping drunk drivers off the road, but this ain't gonna work. If someone is drunk, they'll get someone who isn't to blow in it. Short of that, they'll find some other mechanism of overriding it.
It would be insulting and humiliating to the majority of drivers who drive alcohol-free to have to use this.
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Drewboy 2:31PM (9/15/2006)
Wow - I don't drive drunk but, but I'd never buy a "big brother" car like that. I'm sure there are ways to remove it or get past it. Hmmm.... I wonder what would happen if I let my dog blow on it?
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Erik 3:03PM (9/15/2006)
"drunk driving is the nation's most frequently committed violent crime"
It's asinine comments like that that cause people to describe MADD as fanatical or extremist rather than progressive or effective
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digitalzombie 5:46PM (9/15/2006)
Erm.. this is for a Japan kind of thing. (I might be bias with Nissan, I love them) Anyway, I'm suprise Autoblog haven't cover some of their future technologies like over at fresh alloy. They're working on hybrid diesel, decided to make their own hybrid technology, variable compress ratio, etc... (maybe they were posted and i just missed it)
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WillDaThrill 7:56PM (9/15/2006)
So would that make the sober passenger who blows into the thing liable too?
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Mike 3:31AM (9/16/2006)
This is incredibly stupid. What are we all going to have to blow into some tube every single time we want to start our cars? What if you have multiple drivers, or your mechanic needs to start the car?
As for the keypad, it's yet another device that will make the dealerships rich because there will be soooo many people out there who forget the code. Trust me, i've worked for a tow service before and I can vouche for the tons of people who lock their keys in their car, lose their keys (in their home!!!), and forget to turn their lights off. I can't imagine how many people would forget some complicated code.
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Dirk Dundenburg 9:21AM (9/16/2006)
Today you blow into your interlock device to be able to start your car. Tomorrow you'll have to give a drop of blood like those blood sugar level testers to be able to drive, which will test for everything that could impair your ability to drive.
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J-TRAY 11:56AM (9/16/2006)
Oh well there goes my Saturday night. Good idea but how accurate is it? What if you eat a certain food and the thing prevents you from driving?
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