During CES 2024, recently held in Las Vegas, Magna, a prominent mobility technology company, unveiled an advanced pre-development technology that utilises breath and camera-based systems to address impaired driving. This cutting-edge solution marks a notable achievement in the ongoing endeavors to improve road safety.
The innovative safety technology swiftly, reliably, and affordably assesses if drivers are ‘fit to drive.’ The comprehensive solution integrates essential components of the interior sensing system, employing camera technology to identify driver distraction, drowsiness, and intoxication through pupillary signals. It incorporates infrared sensor technology from Senseair, a leading expert in air and gas sensing.
Embedded sensors in the cockpit, positioned near the driver, measure alcohol and carbon dioxide levels in diluted exhalations. This technology passively identifies an intoxicated driver with a blood alcohol concentration equal to or exceeding the legal limit of 0.08 percent in most states, except Utah, where the limit is 0.05 percent.
Bill Snider, President of Electronics at Magna, emphasized the company’s commitment to advancing mobility and enhancing safety by delivering active innovations. The goal is to collaborate with customers and the industry to significantly contribute to making roads safer for all users.
In 2021, drunk driving accounted for over 13,000 fatalities, constituting approximately one-third of all traffic-related deaths in the U.S., as reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Magna’s new solution primarily focuses on alcohol detection, the most prevalent substance associated with impaired driving incidents.