Nissan Motor Company is considering developing cars with special equipment that would keep intoxicated drivers from starting them. In response to a recent series of highly publicized accidents and an increasing concern about drunk driving in Japan, the automaker is studying several options intended to disable a car if the driver is impaired.
One consideration is a breathalyzer tube that the driver would have to blow into in order to operate the car. The device would be able to detect the presence of alcohol and subsequently prohibit the engine from being started. An alternative would require a driver to enter a long string of numbers before being able to start a vehicle. The assumption is that a drunk driver would have a difficult time remembering or entering such a personal code.
Nissan spokeswoman Ikue Matsuura said. ‘No specifics have been decided yet but we are considering developing models that would prevent car accidents, including drunk driving.’
In the United States there are several after-market technologies that can be applied to vehicles owned by chronic drunk drivers, including alcohol ignition interlocks. The difference in the Nissan strategy is that the device would be factory designed and installed.
There is no indication as to what portion of the Nissan fleet would come with the device, nor a time-frame for when such equipped vehicles would be offered for sale.
May 26, 2012
