Fox News has a report stating that Toyota is working on a system for its automobiles that detects whether a driver is intoxicated. If, through the various sensors, the driver is determined to be intoxicated then the automobile shuts down. I know that some will gripe that this infringes upon civil liberties, etc. but I do not buy it. While some communities are taking the idea of protecting the public too far with bans on smoking, bans on transfats and other such restrictions, no one has the right to drive their car drunk. It is too dangerous. The damage that one suffers from inhaling second hand smoke, while gross and annoying, is rather transitory. I have the ability to walk away from such activity and suffer no harm. With a drunk driver, the ability to avoid the harm is reduced to almost zero. There is very little opportunity for one to detect the drunk driver and then even less of an ability to avoid the drunk driver. Far too many people are unnecessarily killed and injured each year by drunk drivers.
The present system focuses upon prevention by punishment after the fact. The system suggested by Toyota focuses upon prevention by before the act. It is an idea far overdue.
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