A $1 trillion infrastructure bill being considered by the U.S. Senate could necessitate automakers to fit new vehicles with technology designed to prevent drunk drivers from starting vehicles.
Approximately one-third of all annual U.S. traffic deaths in the U.S. involve impaired drivers and the push could save as many as 10,000 lives per year,
Reuters reports. The legislative measures have won backing from the auto insurance industry, some alcohol trade associations, and advocacy groups including Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
The bill would require the U.S. Department of Transportation to set a technology safety standard within three years while automakers would be provided with another two years to comply. The bill under debate in the U.S. Senate does not specify what kind of technology should be used, but says it must “passively monitor the performance of a driver of a motor vehicle to accurately identify whether that driver may be impaired.”