The issue of drunk driving is one that continues to plague this country. Despite the many measures aimed to prevent impaired driving accidents from occurring, they nonetheless seem almost inevitable. A common way of attacking this issue is through political reform by introducing federal laws and state regulations such as a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit for drivers. In addition, the provision of devices such as breathalyzers has enabled for drunk drivers to be detected and prosecuted. However, more definitive and prompt action driven by science must be taken to solve this problem entirely.
Since its inception in the 1950s, breathalyzers have become a fundamental tool for measuring an individual’s BAC. Regarding their functionality, breathalyzers consist of two electrodes, one of which is negatively charged (anode) while the other is positively charged (cathode). When the user blows into a breathalyzer, the ethanol (or in other words, alcohol) in their breath sample then reacts with water in an oxidation reaction, which forms acetic acid as the product at the anode. In contrast, at the cathode, water is produced due to the reduction of atmospheric oxygen.
As a result, an electrical current is created among both electrodes, which is “proportional to the amount of ethanol present” in the breath sample and measured to determine BAC [1].
However, in spite of the breathalyzer’s widespread usage, it is unreliable, producing readings that are sometimes even “40 percent too high” due to calibration issues and human error [2].
There are numerous potential alternatives to the breathalyzer, though two are especially promising. The first involves utilizing electrocardiograms (ECG), which could provide more accurate readings, but would likely be less cost-effective. Electrocardiograms are tests that are conducted by placing electrodes on an individual’s body in order to measure electrical activity in the heart. This includes the speed with which “the heart is beating, the rhythm of the [heartbeats] (steady or irregular), and the strength and timing of the electrical impulses” [3]. According to researchers at the City University of Hong Kong who collected and analyzed standard and drunk ECG signal sample data, such a method could be redirected to be utilized for drunk driving detection (DDD) as it experimentally achieved an accuracy of 87.52% [4]. However, one of the primary concerns with this technology is its inconvenience for consumers as it could require them to wear separate equipment to obtain the measurements. A solution is currently being considered in which ECG electrodes could be placed on either the steering wheel or the driver’s seat instead, so then data can be collected merely from the contact of the driver’s hands or chest. Nonetheless, the use of ECG-based DDD is a rather new idea and may struggle to be adopted until a more streamlined version is developed, which would take additional time.
Another option is touch-based sensor technology. Such technology would rely on spectroscopy, or in other words, the interaction between light and matter. This technology would function by emitting an infrared light upon the driver’s skin, which would be “reflected back to the skin’s surface, where it is collected by the touch pad” [5]. This information could then be utilized to analyze properties such as the driver’s BAC as found in their skin tissue. Currently, this technology is still in the early stages of testing and will not become uniformly distributed until it becomes “seamless, accurate, and precise, and unobtrusive to the sober driver” [6]. Additionally, such a touch-based system could be combined with fingerprint technology in place of current key ignition switch designs in order to ensure its usage becomes more widespread and practical.
DDD devices still have a long road ahead until they can be considered sufficiently effective. Therefore, either current breathalyzer technology must be improved or an alternative that minimizes human error must be introduced, such as electrocardiography or touch sensors, in order to allow drivers to make more informed decisions before taking the wheel. Ultimately, it is pivotal to continue to challenge current DDD methods to ensure that drunk driving becomes an issue of the past.
References:
1) McVean, Ada. “From Bottle to Blood to Breath: How Breathalyzers Work.” 6 June 2019, www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/did-you-know/did-you-know-breathalyzers-dont-directly-measure-your-blood-alcohol-concentration.
2) Cowley, Stacy, and Jessica Silver-Greenberg. “These Machines Can Put You in Jail. Don't Trust Them.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 3 Nov. 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/11/03/business/drunk-driving-breathalyzer.html?action=click&module=Top%2BStories&pgtype=Homepage.
3) “Electrocardiogram.” Johns Hopkins Medicine, www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/electrocardiogram.
4) Wu, Chung, et al. “A Precise Drunk Driving Detection Using Weighted Kernel Based on Electrocardiogram.” Sensors, vol. 16, no. 5, 2016, doi:10.3390/s16050659.
5) “Touch-Based Technology.” Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety, 15 Apr. 2019, www.dadss.org/touch-based-technology/.
6) “Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety .” National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, one.nhtsa.gov/Vehicle-Safety/DADSS.