Aussie device may be cure to drink driving epidemic

While anti drink driving campaigns will be stepped up in the UK this summer, inventors down under may well have found a long-term solution to the dangers of alcohol-fuelled driving.

A new gadget has been developed in Australia which stops a vehicle from being started until the driver passes a breathalyser test.

As reported recently by The Daily Mail, the device measures alcohol levels in the driver’s blood and, if he or she is over the limit, the car will not start.

The system also records how many times people with the device have attempted to start their vehicle while intoxicated.

By 2016, all first time drink driving offenders and motorists with a cancelled license in the state of Victoria will be expected to fit the AUS$1,000 device in their cars.

Cameras will also be used to ensure that people who have been drinking aren’t able to ask someone to take the test before they start the car.

According to Australian transport minister and Victorian MP Terry Mulder, the device could have a dramatic impact on road safety, with drink drivers currently making up almost 30% of deaths on the Victoria’s roads.

He told an Australian newspaper: “Technological advances mean that in the long-term alcohol interlocks are likely to be a standard feature of all new vehicles in Australia. But in the meantime, Victoria is leading the way in taking action to reduce the menace caused by drink driving offenders.”

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