Car technologies prevent drunk driving from causing accidents

The recent series of drunk driving cases that have killed innocent people in Vietnam has pushed public sentiment to a climax, with the procession of people seeing off the two victims of the Mercedes crash that killed them in the Kim Lien tunnel (Hanoi) with the logos “Don’t drink and drive” on their chests being an example.

Drunk driving is one of the most serious crimes in the world’s traffic laws. Many countries have taken a tough stance on violators, and some have turned to technology to combat the problem.

Anti-drunk driving technology

Drunkenness is a condition that causes people to fall into an unconscious state, making it difficult to stay awake and drive, and it is even more dangerous than being sleepy.

The United States is the country with the most technological innovations and measures to combat drunk driving. According to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 30 people in the United States die every day from traffic accidents related to driving after consuming alcohol.

Self-driving cars use artificial intelligence to process data from the surrounding environment to control the car.

One of the most talked about transportation technology projects in the US is the development of self-driving cars. Big names like Tesla, Google, Apple, and even famous car brands are all “competing” to promote self-driving car technology. The optimistic vision for deploying self-driving cars will start after 2020 and by 2050, it is almost optimally complete.

Self-driving cars are expected to not only bring a civilized and orderly traffic system but also help reduce traffic accidents. Self-driving vehicles on the road communicate with each other via the internet, positioning and smart connection technologies. This means that humans will gradually be removed from the steering wheel, and thus the problem of drunk driving will also be solved.

Before entering the era of self-driving cars like in science fiction, there will be many difficulties and many experiments to be conducted. Therefore, many car and technology companies have come up with temporary "fire-fighting" solutions to meet consumer needs.

Anti-drowsiness ring, vibrates and makes noise to warn the driver.

To prevent loss of concentration while driving (falling asleep, drunkenness), products such as anti-drowsiness glasses, driver warning cameras, alarm rings...etc. have gradually appeared on the market, priced from only a few hundred USD to over a thousand USD.

Or more advanced, many car manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Hyundai, Ford... have introduced anti-drowsiness technology, automatic steering support and emergency braking into new car lines. These devices use heart rate sensors, cameras to analyze the position and movement of the head and eyes to create data for AI robots to analyze..., helping to intervene early in the braking system, accelerator, even automatic steering or create reminders for the driver when noticing a lack of concentration.

People who drink and drive in the US must install an alcohol breathalyzer in their car for a certain period of time.

In the US, a technological measure is being applied in some states to create pressure to manage drunk driving offenders.

Offenders are required to install an Ignition Interlock Device (IID) on their vehicle's dashboard, which costs approximately $730-$2,800. The device requires motorcyclists andcarmust blow the breath for analysis, if the alcohol concentration is below the permitted level, the vehicle can be started. In addition, violators must bring the device to the police station for monthly periodic inspections, all of which are subject to a fee. This form is applied from 5 months to 48 months depending on the severity of the violation.

Technology is still not as good as human calculation.

One of the earliest car companies to introduce self-driving technology was Tesla, with its AutoPilot feature. In 2016, two consecutive fatal accidents in China and the US were related to this self-driving feature. Although Tesla has never admitted that AutoPilot was the main cause of the accident and has always insisted that it will continue to upgrade, many years later there have been many accidents (including videos) showing that this self-driving system has problems, not completely controlling the safety of the people inside.

Similar to Tesla, many car manufacturers such as Volvo, Land Rover, Lexus, BMW, Mercedes-Benz... have developed automatic and semi-automatic self-driving systems. All have the same formula, which is based on collected environmental data so that artificial intelligence (AI) can give instructions to replace humans. However, mixed traffic always has unexpected risks, in which the way "smart" cars and normal cars operate together is still the biggest challenge that AI technology is still limited to.

Current anti-distraction technologies are still “immune” to drunk drivers who lose control of their nerves.

For devices that help people stay awake while driving, they are almost always at a gentle level of impact! Warning rings or "eyes" that "check" the driver's condition can only "awaken" the driver to be conscious and proactive in anticipating the dangers they may encounter. As for pathological conditions (cardiovascular, neurological) or drunkenness, they are almost ineffective.

Perhaps, the most effective measure currently to deal with the problem of drunk driving causing fatal accidents is to psychologically impact drivers through heavy penalties, making them "afraid" to think before deciding to drink alcohol.