A friend of mine had a DUI conviction and spent a year on probation. During that year, she had limited driving privileges (just to-and-from work), and her vehicle was outfitted with a special device – a breathalyzer that prevented the car from starting unless she’d successfully used it.
My husband’s new car has every gizmo and gadget imaginable. It parallel-parks itself; it beeps if he veers out of his traffic lane or gets too close to any object; if he’s not far enough behind the car in front of him, the car slows down. Given all this technology, I wonder how difficult it would be to attach a breathalyzer to every ignition.
It wouldn’t be good to have a sensor for the general air within a car. There’d be issues if the passengers, but not the driver, were intoxicated. A designated driver, looking after his tipsy friends and behaving responsibly, is something to encourage, not make impossible.
(By the way, my friend is fine. She faced her problems and hasn’t touched alcohol in about 20 years.)