Datsun’s dumping drunks
Nissan gets testy with drunk drivers
Reuters – Fri Aug 3, 2007 . . . . Nissan’s alcohol-detection sensors check odor, sweat and driver awareness, issuing a voice alert from the navigation system and locking up the ignition if necessary. Odor sensors on the driver and passenger seats read alcohol levels, while a detector in the gear-shift knob Nissan’s car includes a mounted camera that monitors alertness by eye scan, ringing bells and issuing a voice message in Japanese or English if a driver should pull over and rest……more…
Although Japan has some of the toughest drinking and driving laws (and a 99% conviction rate). The official “drunk driving” blood-alcohol limit of 0.25mg and it’s an offense to “drive under the influence” with no set minimum. These laws are refective of the huge problem Japanese have with over-drinking. Maybe 90% of adult males in Japan fall into the “episodic alcoholic” and “functional alcoholic” categories.
The common theory is that heavy drinking provides a much-needed escape valve in Japan’s strict conformist society. Alcohol is a perfect way to vent off feelings and frustrations without losing face.
Needless to say this Ignition Interlock system from Nissan is needed here.
Be sure to watch this hissy drunk video of Reuters of this new Nissan system…
Click to watch.
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August 5th, 2007 at 10:21 pm
Slashdot has a long commentary/debate about this today:
Nissan Turns to Technology to Stop Drunk Driving
Sunday August 05, @12:06AM
http://slashdot.org/articles/07/08/05/047230.shtml
ComputerWorld story about new efforts by Nissan to reduce the danger of intoxicated drinkers through technology. A trio of new features installed in a prototype vehicle demonstrated this past week are designed to minimize the damage a drunk behind the wheel can cause. “The first [system] attempts to directly detect alcohol in the driver’s sweat and gear shift lever. A second system in the car uses a camera mounted in front of the driver to monitor eye movement. If the driver is drowsy it triggers the seat belt to tighten and this movement will hopefully snap the driver out of their drowsiness or prompt them to take a rest. A third system monitors the path of the vehicle to ensure it’s traveling in a straight line and not weaving about the road, as is common with a drunken driver.”