The weekly newsletter for Fed2 by ibgames

EARTHDATE: September 16, 2007

Official News - page 9


REAL LIFE NEWS: THE DRUNK-PROOF CAR

by Hazed

Everyone knows you are not supposed to drink and drive, but once you've had a beer or two your judgement goes out the window and you continue to feel confident you're safe to get behind the wheel, even when you can hardly walk in a straight line.

Friends don't let friends drive drunk, but if you refuse to listen to your friends - or you don't have any - there's now one last resort to stop drunken sots from attempting to drive: the car itself. Japanese car maker Nissan has come up with an odor detection system that is designed to prevent drivers from operating a car if they are over the legal limit. The system works by using a series of sensors to detect the level of alcohol the driver has consumed, and if it thinks you've had too much, it immobilizes the car.

A high-sensitivity alcohol sensor is built into the gear stick, which checks the perspiration of the driver's palm looking for the presence of alcohol. If he or she has more than allowed, the system locks the transmission and a voice tells the driver they are over the limit.

At which point, the drunken driver will no doubt be tempted to smash the car up in a rage! It's bad enough having your car nag you to put on your seatbelt, but when it starts to tell you it's not going to let you drive at all, it's going to be really infuriating.

The sensors are still in developmental stages, and the system will also have features designed to detect drivers who fall asleep at the wheel or are otherwise distracted.


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