Nissan’s Anti-Drunk Driving Technology….At Least Someone Is Trying!

In today’s world…..everyone knows the dangers of drunk driving; yet we still have thousands of deaths related to alcohol on our roads every year.  The Interlock Breathalyzer Test which I wrote about awhile back was a great idea.  Now Nissan has taken another big step in the right direction by implementing Anti-Drunk Driving Technology into their upcoming cars.   

 

The first Anti-Drunk Driving Gadget is also the most popular way to identify a drunk. The shift knob will house a sensor that can detect the presence of Alcohol through your perspiration!  When detected the cars transmission automatically locks up….and prevents the driver from going anywhere!  There will also be sensors in the seats to detect alcohol on the driver’s breath.

 

A second innovation is a camera that directly monitors the driver.  Things like eye movement and facial features will be tracked.  This is also a great safety feature that will help combat drivers falling asleep at the wheel.  And when the car does fell the driver falling asleep or losing consciousness, the seat belt will tighten and release.  I think a hand should come out and slap the driver awake!

 

The third feature will be a system that monitors the actually driving of the automobile.  “The system can identify signs of inattentiveness or distraction in the driver.” (http://allworldcars.com/wordpress/?p=1835) And the seat belt alert will again be triggered.

 

All in all I am very happy that Nissan is the first large automaker to finally tackle the ridiculous issue of drunk driving!  I am so glad that the money I spent on my Nissan Sentra is going to good use!

 

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Drunk Driving Facts! Facts – Not Fiction!! Pay Attention!!!

Occurrence and Consequences

• During 2005, 16,885 people in the U.S. died in alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes, representing 39% of all traffic-related deaths (NHTSA 2006).
   
• In 2005, nearly 1.4 million drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics (Department of Justice 2005). That’s less than one percent of the 159 million self-reported episodes of alcohol–impaired driving among U.S. adults each year (Quinlan et al. 2005).
   
• Drugs other than alcohol (e.g., marijuana and cocaine) are involved in about 18% of motor vehicle driver deaths. These other drugs are generally used in combination with alcohol (Jones et al. 2003).
    
• More than half of the 414 child passengers ages 14 and younger who died in alcohol-related crashes during 2005 were riding with the drinking driver (NHTSA 2006). 

• In 2005, 48 children age 14 years and younger who were killed as pedestrians or pedalcyclists were struck by impaired drivers (NHTSA 2006).

Cost

Each year, alcohol-related crashes in the United States cost about $51 billion (Blincoe et al. 2002). 

Groups at Risk

• Male drivers involved in fatal motor vehicle crashes are almost twice as likely as female drivers to be intoxicated with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08% or greater (NHTSA 2006). It is illegal to drive with a BAC of 0.08% or higher in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. 
   
• At all levels of blood alcohol concentration, the risk of being involved in a crash is greater for young people than for older people (Zador et al. 2000). In 2005, 16% of drivers ages 16 to 20 who died in motor vehicle crashes had been drinking alcohol (NHTSA 2006). 

• Young men ages 18 to 20 (under the legal drinking age) reported driving while impaired more frequently than any other age group (Shults et al. 2002, Quinlan et al. 2005).
   
• Among motorcycle drivers killed in fatal crashes, 30% have BACs of 0.08% or greater (Paulozzi et al. 2004).

·     Nearly half of the alcohol-impaired motorcyclists killed each year are age 40 or older, and motorcyclists ages 40 to 44 years have the highest percentage of fatalities with BACs of 0.08% or greater (Paulozzi et al. 2004).

• Of the 1,946 traffic fatalities among children ages 0 to 14 years in 2005, 21% involved alcohol (NHTSA 2006b).
   
• Among drivers involved in fatal crashes, those with BAC levels of 0.08% or higher were nine times more likely to have a prior conviction for driving while impaired (DWI) than were drivers who had not consumed alcohol (NHTSA 2006).

This information was gathered directly from http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/drving.htm

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Hispanics Get The Most DWI’s!!!

Of all the data collected on DWI’s in the last 10 years; one ethnicity stand above the rest in terms on the number of arrest for driving while intoxicated.  According to Star News (a N.C. newspaper): “7.04 percent of Hispanic drivers involved in crashes in 2005 were intoxicated, compared with 4.87 percent of Native Americans, 2.82 percent of whites and 2.28 percent of blacks.”  This puts the Hispanic community far above the rest in terms of DWI’s.  But why is the percentage so high?

 

It really boils down to one thing: Education.  The Hispanic population is just not aware of the Driving Laws that we American’s rely upon to keep us safe.  Of course it is the young, male Latino’s that make-up the majority of arrests.  This holds true for all DWI’s given.  Younger males make up the largest demographic of Driving Abusers……they get more tickets, more DWI’s, and into more accidents.  And they are the most likely to die in an accident. 

 

So the moral of the story here is; EDUCATE all drivers!  Not just the rich kids who can afford Drivers Ed.

 

http://www.starnewsonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060622/NEWS/606220415/1004

 

http://teendriverseducation.wordpress.com/

 

Get a DWI Once….Shame On You! Get a DWI 2x’s……Shame on the Gov.!?

Drinking and Driving is dumb and stupid.  Yes you all have heard that.  And there is a large percentage of the population that knows just how dumb and expensive it really is.  Then there are those who have had much worse than a slap on the wrist.  Well The Government could eliminate all repeat DWI’s forever!  Well almost all of the time.

 

There is something called an Interlock Breathalyzer Test.  This nifty device attaches to your car’s ignition.  What it does is measure the alcohol content of your breath.  It’s the same thing a Police Officer would do to you at a traffic stop if he thought you were under the influence.  If you blow a .08 into this device, you ignition on your car would be locked and you would be going nowhere.  After 10 minutes you can try it again.  If we lived in a perfect world every Government…..be it Local, State, or even National; would mandate this sweet product for those who have received DWI’s. 

 

Some really cool features the Car Breathalyzer device has.  It can be adjusted to any level your state or country deems as the legal BAC limit.  It takes only seconds to give out a reading.  And it works in a variety of temperatures…..down to -40 degrees.  Oh and if you fail the breath test….you HAVE to wait 15 minutes before you can try again.  And the cost is under a GRAND.  So courts across the country have begun to mandate this state of the art gadget.  Finally a good idea from the Government!

 

http://www.alcohol-breathalyzers.com/ALS21_article.asp

http://txdefensivedriving.wordpress.com/

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Driving While Boozed is for Fools!

According to the NHTSA; “Alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes kill someone every 31 minutes and nonfatally injure some every 2 minutes.”  This equates to almost 17,000 people a year who’s lives could have been spared if someone knucklehead would have used discretion.  It’s ridiculous to think that after all we have learned in Defensive Driving Class not to mention being bombarded by the media; that there are those ignorant FOOLS still cruising around all liquored up!

 

Of course men are twice as likely as women to be intoxicated while driving.  Just going to show that women possess a much more superior intellect than men.  And men ages 18-20 reported driving while impaired more times than any other age group (Shults et al. 2002, Quinlan et al. 2005). How can this be when the legal age to buy beer is 21?  Again there must be some very irresponsible adults out there enabling these drunk drivers. 

 

Luckily law enforcement agencies have been cracking down on these law breakers. 

According to www.drunkdrivinglaws.org; “even for a first DUI conviction, you could lose your driver’s license, have insurance coverage problems, have an ignition interlock device installed in your car or be assigned to take alcohol education classes at your expense.”   Not to mention the huge fine that accompanies a conviction.

 

So is it really worth it to drive drunk?  Do you have to drink and drive? The answer is of course not!  Don’t be an idiot…..anyone sober person will make sure you get home….just ask!  But if you are stubborn or stupid, and continue to drink and drive, then buy a motorcycle…..cause at least this way you will only kill yourself!

 

This information was compiled from:

http://www.drunkdrivinglaws.org/

http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/drving.htm

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