The organization debunks misinformation about impaired driving prevention technology and urges supporters to push for the full implementation of this life-saving measure
January 22, 2025 – Every 85 seconds, someone is killed or injured in a drunk driving crash. Yet, there is an active push by lawmakers to repeal the legal mandate for passive impaired driving prevention technology that will save more than 10,000 lives each year. Help us take action now to oppose these efforts.
Drunk driving remains one of the most preventable causes of death on our roads, and passive life-saving technology represents a critical step toward ending it. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) strongly supports the full and urgent implementation of the hard-fought HALT Drunk Driving Law, which was passed with bipartisan support in 2021 and requires anti-drunk driving technology to be installed as standard equipment in all new vehicles.
Claims that anti-drunk driving technology will unfairly burden consumers or compromise individual privacy are misplaced. The reality is that the concerns being raised have practical, proven solutions, and none outweigh the cost of inaction, which can be measured in lives lost and economic costs to society. Here’s the truth.
Anti-drunk driving technology does NOT compromise driver privacy.
MADD does not support the collection, storage, or use of driver data for any purpose beyond preventing an impaired person from operating a vehicle. Drunk driving prevention technology does not introduce new privacy risks beyond the data already generated by modern vehicles, and it should not require personal data to be stored or shared. The sole purpose is simple and limited: to stop someone from driving while illegally impaired.
Anti-drunk driving technology will NOT make cars unaffordable.
Concerns about added vehicle costs ignore how modern safety technology is developed and deployed. Many types of alcohol-impairment detection build on driver monitoring systems that are already installed and in use in vehicles today. In many cases, adding impairment detection is a software upgrade, comparable to installing a new app on a smartphone, not an expensive hardware overhaul. A breath-based sensor developed through the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety (DADSS) program is estimated to cost no more than $150 to $200 per vehicle. When required across all vehicles, costs decrease as technology is mass-produced. These costs should not be passed on to consumers. We have seen this with seat belts, airbags, and backup cameras – technologies that are now standard, affordable, and unquestioned because they save lives.
Non-drinking drivers WILL benefit from anti-drunk driving technology.
Safety measures often apply universally because they protect EVERYONE. The technology will not impact individuals who are sober and the collective safety benefit is enormous. Anti-drunk driving technology is designed to stop people who choose to drive impaired and put everyone else at risk. If the driver is sober, then the technology will not be activated. It’s important for the technology to be in all new vehicles for the protection of every road user.
False positives are NOT a result of failed anti-drunk driving technology.
For every technical concern raised, there is a workable solution. Concerns about false positives are solvable. For example, auto makers and regulators could consider a phased integration of the technology to allow consumer confidence to build. What matters is committing to implementation, not using perfection as an excuse for delay.
Anti-drunk driving tech is NOT just a built-in breathalyzer or ignition interlock.
Impaired driving prevention technology is not a breathalyzer and has no relation to ignition interlock devices that require a driver to blow into a device. Today’s systems are smart, innovative, and highly sophisticated, using sensors integrated into the vehicle to passively determine whether the person behind the wheel is impaired. There is no action required by the driver, no mouthpiece, and no disruption to normal driving. The technology is designed to seamlessly prevent impaired driving, without inconveniencing drivers.
The technology’s sole purpose is to prevent death and injury caused by impaired driving and solutions are ready today. The HALT Drunk Driving Law reflects decades of progress in traffic safety and a shared responsibility to protect lives. Stand with victims and survivors by emailing your representatives and urging them to oppose amendments to repeal or defund this lifesaving law. Thousands of lives depend on it.
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