Posted on Thursday 6 March 2008
First Volvo unveiled a new driver-distraction warning system, now the company is presenting a fully integrated in-car alcolock system called Alcoguard. Scheduled to be introduced as an option for the XC60 to begin with, and then the S80, V70 and XC70 models early next year, the new system will require drivers to blow into a wireless hand-held unit that analyzes their breath in order to start the car. If the driver’s blood-alcohol limit exceeds a predetermined level the engine simply won’t start.
It’s expected Volvo will charge around $1000 for the option.
According to Volvo, one in three fatalities in Europe is alcohol related and around 3,000 people in the UK alone are killed or seriously injured each year in drink drive collisions. The new Alcoguard system employs the same fuel-cell technology used by the majority of police forces in Europe. Thanks to advanced sensors, it isn’t possible to use external air sources such as a pump to cheat the system but it can’t prevent people other than the driver starting up the car.
Both Toyota and Nissan are developing their own on-board breathalyzers, but it appears Volvo will be the first mainstream carmaker to market the product.
Really nice thing to have in car, but this really should be only informative! Because the systematic drunk-drive offenders never will choose this option, but also the normal people won’t choose it as well - why should I blow to this stupid device every time I start car if I only drink few times a month? I honestly would love to have such device in car, but please - don’t make my everyday motoring ridiculous!
I agree.
If there is a PASSIVE way to tell the driver is drunk (and FOOLPROOF) then so be it.
But I would NEVER want a car that I had to do this in to start it every time. And no one else would, either…
The only people that might choose this idiotic option are Barney Gumbo and Ned Flanders.
What if you get other people to blow into it instead?
And i agree with comments above, i wouldn’t want to have to blow into it everytime i want to start the car
100% agree with Bender.
Alan:
Do you really think that someone is going to sit in the passenger seat with a drunk person as a driver? You have got to be kidding me…
It is a great option for rental cars and cars own by a company.
I.W. is right that this would appeal to corporate cars and rentals as a means of lower insurance. The idea that anyone would spend even $1, nonetheless a grand, for this is idiotic.
The problem with some of this technology is that it’s not 100% in many ways.
And with something as fundamental as starting the car (or braking for me or swerving for me) I want 100%.
But something does need to be done about the drunk drivers, before they are caught or kill. What’s the solution?