Hidden detectors in cars that detects alcohol on the breath of the driver and makes a red light on the front and the back of the car flash.
-- Imathinker, Aug 05 2004

Stop them driving altogether http://news.bbc.co....usiness/3819355.stm
[angel, Oct 21 2004]

Alcolock. http://www.sky.com/...00-13179213,00.html
[egbert, Oct 21 2004]

From the HB archives: “Drunk Light” http://www.halfbake.../idea/Drunk_20Light
Circa Jan 04: Much the same idea. Redundant? [bristolz, Oct 21 2004]

i like this better than your other idea. how would the sensors distinguish between the driver's breath and a passengers?

how would you prevent the system from being disabled by the owner?

also, why not just have it disable the ignition, so there's no chance they will kill someone before the police spot them?
-- xclamp, Aug 05 2004


Unfortunately, the only people who would install this kind of device in their car would not be regular drink-drivers.
-- reap, Aug 05 2004


Maybe mandatory for DUI offendors? Or maybe make it standard with all new cars.
-- swimr, Aug 06 2004


SAAB plan to build a detector into the ignition key (linky).
-- angel, Aug 06 2004


,instead of an interlock working to prevent you from driving your car, it would work better for me, to block, out going e-mails, and posting to message BLOG's. While being indescriminatly obseverd by said system... But ofcoarse Id like chance to "argue with the CPU" just to see if im getting rusty. I know people should find better things to do than drive drunk, surfing the net drunk off alcohol, should also be considered, since to learn your limits, you will pay a price of some sort, yet this could make you think, besides such a price would be small in comparison to making the same judgement call desicion, wrong with an automoble.
-- afterthought, Aug 06 2004


I see what you mean.
-- angel, Aug 06 2004


Yeah, [afterthought] must have been commatose by that last sentence.
-- half, Aug 06 2004


How would you prevent them from being ABLED by the owner? (e.g. artifically turn the light on; then other drivers treat your car like an ambulance and get out of the way for you)
-- phundug, Aug 06 2004


Just for discussion -- when SAAB do install their keys so the driver can't start the car at all .. or this idea becomes reality ..

When that particular car's system doesn't work and the drunk driver therefore CAN start the car and kills a kid .. could the driver not sue the car company, saying 'it didn't stop me driving so I thought it was OK'.

??

Also theres really no point in the system being hidden as the drunk will work out the system exists the first time he tries to drive home, and the next day give his mate Gary £20 to rip the whole lot out.
-- britboy, Aug 06 2004


Police forces in the UK are trialling a system similar to the SAAB which is hard wired into the car of a DUI offender. The plan is to trade a small reduction in the ban in return for the offender agreeing to use this system. I'll see if I can find a link.

<Later>There.
-- egbert, Aug 06 2004


//red light on the front and the back of the car flash//

This exists, but the light moves from curb to centerline and back, the entire trip. Where I live, the police ignore drunk drivers until there's a collision with someone who cares. It's obvious to all that the driver is not in control, no extra illumination necessary.

There's no red light in front; that indicates the car has spun around.
-- Amos Kito, Aug 06 2004


Since I don't care what impairment the driver who hit me has, but I do care if he hits me... why not be less specialized and solve "every" crash problem!! Every car be equipped with a "black box", like airplanes. Some already have "secret" black boxes analyzing operation. Every driver would know his performance was being monitored continuously. And it is an easy next step for a computer to identify "erratic" driving, and respond with operating limits proportionately, whatever the cause.
-- lewstanley, Aug 07 2004


“...And it is an easy next step for a computer to identify "erratic" driving...”

Poppycock. I think it would be very hard for such a system to distinguish between erratic and evasive manouevers.
-- bristolz, Aug 07 2004


that is the stupidest thing i ever heard, why not just have this "device" shut the damn car off?
-- kristoferburrito, Apr 03 2006



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