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As part of the legislation, automakers must add technology to detect and prevent drunk driving as early as 2026.
But first, the Ministry of Transportation will have to determine the best solution to curb drunk driving. Specifically, the bill requires passive monitoring of the performance of motor vehicle drivers to accurately identify whether the driver’s driving state may be disturbed. Sam Abuelsamid, chief mobile analyst at Guidehouse Insights, said this sounds similar to the infrared camera solutions currently used by General Motors, Nissan Motor and other companies. It goes without saying that people need something more advanced than alcohol detectors.
NHTSA pointed out that about 10,000 people die in drunk driving accidents in the United States every year. Now, with smarter sensors and a large number of camera technologies to monitor driver behavior, it makes sense to explore solutions that help prevent such accidents. Within ten years, it should be popularized like a seat belt.
The Infrastructure Act also includes other safety measures, such as a rear seat reminder, which can notify parents that a child has been left in the car seat. In addition, Congress will also require automatic emergency braking and lane departure warning, which are already available in many new cars. It is still unclear when true self-driving cars will become a reality, but until then, at least human drivers can expect to have more ways to prevent accidents.