On the eve of 2020, with the proliferation and ease of ridesharing, it is beyond sad that the number one cause of death on U.S. roadways is still drunk driving. MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) estimates that someone is injured every two-minutes and someone is killed every 51-minutes in a drunk driving crash. And it’s not just drinking, as “drugged driving is an emerging and growing threat we cannot ignore,” writes Helen Witty, MADD National President. Beyond education, MADD CEO, Adam Vanek, suggests technology will be an important tool in reaching their goal of “No more victims.”
Speaking at the World Safety Summit, Vanek, discusses their Driver Alcohol Detection Systems for Safety (DADSS). The concept is to measure blood alcohol concentration through the fingertips or via an air-sampling system.
[Note, it’s not difficult to imagine low-cost sensors, such as what Aernos is developing, being integrated into Bluetooth headsets or within a steering wheel cover, for example, https://youtu.be/00rx4ktJHIA]
Removing the driver could be the ultimate safety improvement and MADD is actively partnering with technology companies (e.g. Uber, Waymo, and Velodyne) and advocating for the deployment of autonomous vehicles. Echoing Princeton’s Dr. Kornhauser, the grassroots efforts of MADD correspond to the type of acceptance that is needed by the community if autonomous mobility is to go mainstream. Vanek encourages engineers and technologists to continue pushing through and pursuing solutions to the challenges of autonomous driving, as it will save lives and heartaches for families everywhere.
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