Policy

Alcohol-detection systems get road-tested by states

The goal is to decrease alcohol-related crashes and fatalities.
CTDOT had the outreach car at the UConn Football game on Sept. 30, 2023, where fans at the game tested the vehicle. (Courtesy of the Connecticut Department of Transportation)

A years-long effort to test and build public acceptance for passive alcohol-detection systems in cars is getting an assist from a trio of states that have teamed with automakers and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to help pilot the technology.

Connecticut recently joined Maryland and Virginia as the newest state partner in the Driven to Protect Initiative, which is road-testing a system that can precisely measure a driver’s breath alcohol concentration without the driver having to blow into a tube.

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