Alcohol

Forget the new Star Wars movie. The Force awakening today might be law enforcement. Federal officials announced a renewed attempt Thursday to crack down on drunk drivers throughout the holiday season.

NHTSA is previewing a suite of safety system to prevent drunk driving fatalities through an initiative called the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety program.

A European lobby group has called for the end of alcohol sponsorship in Formula One, issuing an open letter to FIA president Jean Todt.

Of the 34,000 Americans killed in traffic accidents each year, roughly a third of them die in alcohol-related crashes.

Residents of Amish communities famously eschew almost all trappings of modernity. No TV, no telephones, limited use of electricity, and, gasp, no Autoblog! But there comes a time in a young Amish person's life when they're allowed to go out and taste the world. And sometimes alcohol.

Drunk driving fatalities were on the decline in 2010, with 32 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico all reporting fewer deaths, according to new data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. But the feds are still concerned about the 10,228 people killed in alcohol-related accidents.

The Detroit Free Press is reporting that two companies have joined forces to create a push-to-start button that can automatically sense the driver's blood-alcohol level. Takata, an Auburn Hills-based parts supplier and TruTouch, an Albuquerque-based firm, have received a $2.25 million grant from the Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety to help make the creation commercially viable.

Ruh-roh. It looks like Sebastian Vettel hasn't quite ingratiated himself with his hosts in Istanbul, though there's no telling what (if any) repercussions might ensue.

Grille Flasks by Nicholas Brawer – Click above for high-res image gallery

Chrysler workers enjoying a break – Click above to watch video after the jump

We all know by now that no matter what the law dictates, those with an interest not in-line with the law will do what they can to work, shall we say, around the law. Wisconsin is said to have one of the highest rates of DUIs and binge drinking, and that probably has something to do with the state's beer culture. Kids under the age of 21 can drink in public if they're with a parent or legal guardian, and when you get your first DUI – at any age – it's treated as a traffic violation, n

It is acceptable to name your alcoholic beverage after a moving vehicle so long as a car isn't the vehicle in question; e.g. Night Train Express wine and Warbird beer (How about Thunderbird? - Ed). In fact, it's frowned upon to give alcohol a name that can even be associated with cars. New Jersey craft brewer Flying Fish has attracted the attention of MADD, the NJ Turnpike Authority (NJTA), and the press for breaking the taboo with its line of beers named after exits on the New Jersey T

Prince Charles is not new to the environmental debate. His blue, 38-year-old Aston Martin, however, has had nothing to do with being environmentally friendly. Until now. The car, a gift from the Queen on Charles' 21st birthday, has joined the growing fleet of cars that run on bioethanol, having been converted to run on surplus British wine.

According to recent statistics in the UK, there has been an increase in alcohol-related automotive fatalities, causing British legislators to rethink the legally accepted level of alcohol found in the bloodstream. Currently, drivers are cited for drunk drink driving if they have 80 mg of alcohol in 100 ml of their blood. The government in Britain is considering lowering that number to 50 mg per 100 ml (about a half a pint of the finest lager, dependent on weight), bringing it cl