Nanny State? Or A Good Idea?

[Lonan3]

Guardian Link

 

Motorists who flout the law by driving home after a few drinks will soon be up against a formidable foe in the campaign against drink driving: their cars.

Toyota is working on a fail-safe system of sensors that will automatically shut down a car's engine if it thinks the person behind the wheel has had too much to drink.

Cars fitted with the system will use sensors on the steering wheel to measure the alcohol level in the driver's sweat, the Asahi Shimbun newspaper reported. If it is too high, the car won't start.

 

Even if a determined driver gets past the first obstacle by, say, wearing gloves, he or she could still end up walking home: Toyota's device will slow the car to a halt if the sensors detect erratic steering or if a camera mounted on the dashboard sees that the driver's pupils are dilated - a sure sign of being over the limit.

 

As 'erratic steering' is almost a tradition locally, this may be seen as a step too far, but how about:

 

Nissan is experimenting with a device similar to a breathalyser, whch the driver must blow into before being able to start the car. If this detects a high level of alcohol, the engine is disabled.

[Albert Tatlock]

Even if a determined driver gets past the first obstacle by, say, wearing gloves, he or she could still end up walking home: Toyota's device will slow the car to a halt if the sensors detect erratic steering or if a camera mounted on the dashboard sees that the driver's pupils are dilated - a sure sign of being over the limit.[/i]

Many standard medications and medical conditions can cause pupils to dilate also. Imagine your Toyota stopping in the fast lane of the motorway half an hour after you'd taken a couple of aspirin for a headache at the service station.