It is common knowledge that drinking and driving often produce deadly results. From our offices in Laurel, Maryland, we at Clark and Steinhorn, routinely see the carnage on our roadways that result from the deadly mix. Deadly alcohol-related car and truck crashes on I-95 and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway seem tragically routine.
Efforts at increased enforcement and education have had very positive effects, as overall car and truck crash-related deaths have steadily declined through the years. Nonetheless, a steady core of car accidents with fatalities and catastrophic injuries stemming from drunk driving, is unabated.
What else can be done? The answer, according to the United States Department of Transportation, is the use of smart technology. U.S.D.O.T. is working in conjunction with 15 automakers to create and implement new technologies to detect excessive alcohol consumption in prospective drivers, before they can drive away.
A pilot program is set to start in 2015, which will detect alcohol both by touch and breath. The system known as DADSS or Driver Alcohool Detection System for Safety, has been developed through cooperative efforts between USDOT and ACTS. ACTS is the Automobile Coalition for Traffic Safety.
Hopefully, their efforts will further reduce traffic accidents here in Laurel and around the State of Maryland. As further developments occur we will let you know.
