Policy Information Exchange

A $600 sensor installed in a car's steering wheel can test a driver's skin for alcohol use and will prevent the car from starting if the results show a blood-alcohol level exceeding the legal limit, the New York Times reported May 29.

The sensor is the brainchild of Dennis Bellehumeur, who developed the device after his teenage son was injured after driving drunk and hitting a utility pole. "Thank God no one was killed. It was a real wake-up call. I wanted to do something," Bellehumeur said. "I hope one day I'll get a call from some guy saying, 'I was drunk and could've killed someone, but because of you, I couldn't start my car.'"

Bellehumeur has patented the device, is finalizing testing, and hopes that some day it will be installed in every new car. "I'm not sure the auto industry is prepared to accept that for cost reasons," replied James Frank, a research psychologist at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. "Neither will the driving public because the majority of them don't drink and drive. We're not there yet."

Source:  Join Together Online.  Join Together is a project of the Boston University School of Public Health.

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