Alcohol Detectors in Cars?

[JohnRich 4]

News:

Alcohol Detectors Could Come Standard With a New Car

It's called "The Roads Safe Act" and opponents claim it's designed to put an alcohol detector in every car, just like an airbag or stereo.

Currently ignition interlock systems are only installed by court order.

Mechanics who work with the Smart Start System say you don't have to be over the legal limit to stall out. "Normally what they should calibrate it at .03. I believe for most people that's the warning level," said Garrett Benedict, a mechanic.

The device allows six violations, then the car won't start at all...

Source: http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Alcohol-Detectors-Could-Come-Standard-With-a-New-Car-117777338.html?dr

For those of you who think that adding gizmos to guns is a good idea, like GPS trackers and fingerprint recognition safeties, how are you going to feel when this kind of techno-thinking comes to your personal automobile?

[normiss 754]

Could kill the mouthwash industry.

[doughboyshred 0]

ridiculous for many reasons.

First of all, those of us that don't drink shouldn't have to spend more money to keep those of you that do drink off the roads.

Secondly, the blow and go systems don't work real well. A friend of mine has one, and got stuck at the store the other day, because he was sick and couldn't make the humming noise that is required.

Instead of doing something stupid like this, they should just enforce existing laws and crack down on all of the bars and restaurants that illegally over serve. Every DWI should result in fines and in some cases arrests for the establishments that served. Same goes for private residents. Have a dinner party and let all your guests leave drunk, it's your responsibility if they kill someone on the way home. That's the way the law is, and it should be enforced as such.

[wmw999 2,373]

It's probably a bad idea, but saying that everything would be fixed if we just behaved is stupid (because there will always be misbehavers). And saying that we should just catch everyone who does it an punish them is saying that the least effective and most effective means of addressing is the only one we choose (trust me, punishment is not as effective as prevention, and with more people out there, detection gets harder, not easier).

Sometimes, people only have good ideas by going through some bad ones. And saying that we already have all the answers is stupid. We don't.

Larger numbers of people, compressed together, will behave differently from smaller, more rural, groups. We should at least think about that.

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[billvon 2,881]

Might be a good idea for rental cars and city buses. It could help reduce how much a rental car company pays to their insurance company, which would in turn allow them to reduce their rental costs, making them more competitive.

[normiss 754]

Lack of acceptance for and responsibility of one's OWN actions is what creates ideas just like this one.
Man the fuck up people.

It's not MY fault YOU consumed too much alcohol.

[shropshire 0]

Wont matter soon ... we're mostly being priced off the road ... £1.40 a LITRE for diesel

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[Southern_Man 0]

Quote

Have a dinner party and let all your guests leave drunk, it's your responsibility if they kill someone on the way home. That's the way the law is, and it should be enforced as such.

That is certainly not the law in all states. It is not in mine. It should not be. Your guest (my guest) could drink before attending the event or after leaving it without the host's knowledge.

I do agree that all consumers should not be burdened with the cost of these systems on all new cars.

"What if there were no hypothetical questions?"

[tonyhays 86]

Quote

Instead of doing something stupid like this, they should just enforce existing laws and crack down on all of the bars and restaurants that illegally over serve.

So much for personal responsibility

“That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.”

[rehmwa 2]

Good idea.

How many times has each of us been driving around and just looking for a nice bar, or a liquor store?

Sometimes a little help is needed. A detector will let us find these establishments easier and more conveniently. And spending money there will help the local establishments.

You could wire it to function with a GPS for that matter


Of course, they'd be worthless in Wisconsin. They'd just point you to various front seats, backseats and trunks of every car. But that's ok - it's easy to find alcohol in WI without any fancy device.

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[SkyDekker 1,398]

I have no problem with this in principle.

[rehmwa 2]

If we installed the alcohol detector/GPS on guns, then any hunter could find his way out of the woods and into a bar.

(serious position? I think it's a great idea for people with DWI on their records. Absolutely intrusive and stupid and expensive for those that aren't guilty)

welcome to the new "nanny" mentality, where everyone is not only helpless, but also guilty of everything by default.

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[billvon 2,881]

>How many times has each of us been driving around and just looking for
>a nice bar, or a liquor store?

What? That's the same as embedding a liquor store permanently in a baby's brainstem! Why would you want to do that to a poor defenseless baby?

[rehmwa 2]

Quote

>How many times has each of us been driving around and just looking for
>a nice bar, or a liquor store?

What? That's the same as embedding a liquor store permanently in a baby's brainstem! Why would you want to do that to a poor defenseless baby?

You know, SOME babies don't have the social advantage of having a liquor store close by. it's an outrage, and did you know that most of the babies are of the same race???!!!!! it's not their fault, it's society's fault alone.

how can you be against equality for all babies?

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[billvon 2,881]

>You know, SOME babies don't have the social advantage of having a liquor
>store close by.

Good point. We do need to take some affirmative action to guarantee access for all, without discriminating based on age.

[ianmdrennan 2]

Quote

Lack of acceptance for and responsibility of one's OWN actions is what creates ideas just like this one.
Man the fuck up people.

It's not MY fault YOU consumed too much alcohol.

I agree 100%

Performance Designs Factory Team

[wmw999 2,373]

Absolutely. Now, what's the most cost-effective means of reducing the amount of drunk driving?

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[shropshire 0]

Quote

Quote

Instead of doing something stupid like this, they should just enforce existing laws and crack down on all of the bars and restaurants that illegally over serve.

So much for personal responsibility

If people exercised Personal Responsibility, they wouldn't drink and fucking drive - fuckin' morons should be shot

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[SpeedRacer 1]

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Absolutely. Now, what's the most cost-effective means of reducing the amount of drunk driving?

Wendy P.

Lots of problems could be solved with a change in the way we set up our towns. We could repeal zoning laws and allow businesses/restaurants/pubs to be built in residential areas.

If people could just WALK to where they need to go, it would cut back on obesity, fuel consumption, greenhouse gases, as well as drunk driving.
In many parts of the UK & Europe, going out to the pub for a drink means walking down the sidewalk a little ways.

Not so much here in the USA where so many of us have to get behind a half ton of motorized steel to get anything done or to go out for a drink.

Speed Racer
--------------------------------------------------

[turtlespeed 212]

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Quote

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Instead of doing something stupid like this, they should just enforce existing laws and crack down on all of the bars and restaurants that illegally over serve.

So much for personal responsibility

If people exercised Personal Responsibility, they wouldn't drink and fucking drive - fuckin' morons should be shot

That isn't very liberal of you.

I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama
BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun

[shropshire 0]

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[normiss 754]

I'm reminded of the original "pubs" - a public house down the street from your own.

To help here? Get a AAA membership and get towed home?
Free cab rides sponsored by AAA or MADD?
Public transportation?
Call a friend?
Have a DD with you?
Or as I previously stated, man the fuck up - and take a cab???!!!

[CanuckInUSA 0]

I never knew cars had drinking problems. Definitely if the cars are blowing over 0.08 (or whatever the legal limit is in the jurisdiction they are in), then the cars need to have their driving privileges taken away from them. If we are going to punish humans for consuming too much booze while on the public roads, then naturally it is only fair that we start punishing the cars too. Fair is fair.

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

[rehmwa 2]

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Absolutely. Now, what's the most cost-effective means of reducing the amount of drunk driving?

I'll get to work on it. I'm sure it involves jelly donuts, a group of breasty sun tan models, a sledge hammer and four oranges.

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[billvon 2,881]

>Definitely if the cars are blowing over 0.08 (or whatever the legal limit is in
> the jurisdiction they are in), then the cars need to have their driving
>privileges taken away from them.

Hmm. But how to enforce it? My car holds its liquor pretty well; it will go through five gallons of ethanol on a long trip, and the only sign is that the radio will start playing sappy 70's and 80's ballads. But it always blows close to zero - so how do we tell which cars are imbibing too much?

Perhaps you could get the driver out and see if it will drive in a straight line by itself. (Getting it to come back afterwards could be tough tho.)