Traffic accident is one of the biggest causes of death in
some countries. Some of them are caused by the drivers who are under the
influence of alcohol. So how can we prevent it?
The most appropriate way may come from the self-awareness of
the drivers themselves, but Honda and Hitachi are preparing an interesting
solution for this problem.
These duo Japanese companies are developing a unique device
which is a combination of smart car key and breathalyzer which is used to
detect alcohol level from the driver's breath.
The prototype so far looks more like a smartphone than a car
key. Even so, Honda claims that this device can accurately detect the alcohol
levels in just three seconds.
Furthermore, this device is designed to be able to
distinguish between the human's breath and other types of gases. Its main
function is to prevent the driver to drive when he/she is drunk.
So when the alcohol content in the breath of the driver is
detected higher than a predetermined limit, the device will refuse to start the
car. How it works much like the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety
technology, although in this case the technology is integrated directly into
the car.
So far the device is still a prototype, but Honda and
Hitachi are determined to continue their cooperation to commercialize this
breathalyzer-based car key.