U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Rick Scott have introduced legislation that would make it mandatory for all new cars and trucks to be equipped with alcohol detection systems.<\/p>\n
The Reduce Impaired Driving for Everyone Act of 2019 (RIDE Act)<\/em> will fund the technology transfer of federally funded research and development of advanced alcohol detection technology that detects whether a driver is impaired over the legal limit and, if so, prevents that driver from starting the car.<\/p>\n The act sets up a pilot program for fleet deployment of vehicles equipped with this technology with the federal General Services Administration, state and local partners, and private fleet owners.\u00a0It also requests a rulemaking to mandate installment of this technology in every new vehicle.<\/p>\n \u201cThe fact is that deaths from drunk driving are completely preventable \u2013 so we have an obligation to do everything we can to prevent such senseless tragedies. I\u2019ve been in this fight for a long time, and we\u2019ve made real progress. But we are still losing thousands of lives each year to drunk driving crashes,\u201d said Udall.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery drunk driving death is one too many \u2013 and one family too many forced to confront unimaginable pain. With this legislation, we have the opportunity to help end drunk driving for good by putting alcohol detection technology in all new motor vehicles. We owe it to those we\u2019ve lost\u2014to honor them with action.\u201d<\/p>\n