Drunk driving is an unacceptable practice nowadays and should have never been accepted in the past, but old habits die hard, and many drivers still have problems adhering to the limits that they should be obeying when they get behind the wheel. While the ideal is not to drink alcohol at all, that can be unrealistic in everyday life, which is why some car companies are coming up with ways to block your car form moving if you have been drinking or are over the limit.
Many countries like France have legislation that mandates that drivers have breathalyzer tests in their car just in case or have a 0,0 limit reading that really does prevent anyone from having drunk at all, but in both of these cases you could still get behind the wheel and drive until you are caught. The device that is being promoted now is not a new thing, it already exists and it is called an interlock breathalyzer, but the aim is to make them a lot more widespread than they are.
Interlock breathalyzers are already mandatory in some countries for certain public transport vehicles, but in Spain for example they are still not implemented. This is about to change, as the main manufacturer Dräger, which has been using its Interlock for years in different European countries and working with brands like BMW to implement it, has launched the “If you drink, you won’t start” campaign to promote the mandatory use of these interlock breathalyzers in Spain.
The new potential mandatory measure against drunk driving in Spain
Despite years of campaigns against the practice, between 2018 and 2022, the number of accidents involving alcohol increased by 20.3%, causing a total of 6,481 victims in 2022 alone, a 16.1% increase compared to four years ago, even though more breathalyzer tests are being conducted than ever before.
But this is about to change and the country is following suit with other European nations that already have measures to prevent drunk driving in place. If implemented, according to data from Dräger, the interlock breathalyzer would prevent up to 960 accidents each year, more than 80 deaths, 126 serious injuries, and up to 1,246 minor injuries, according to accident data for 2023.
Daniel Fisac, director of Dräger’s safety business unit for Iberia gave a statement promoting the use of their product and praising its effectiveness (translated) “We’re not asking for something impossible or futuristic. We’re talking about a technology that already exists, is proven, has been on the market for nearly 30 years, is reliable, easy to use, and ready to save lives today. And if we consider that every new car must already have this pre-installed, we don’t have to think that there’s a great technical need to install a device of this nature. So we’re just asking for compliance with the law and for the implementation deadlines to be accelerated. Every accident caused by a person who has been drinking and decides to drive is preventable. And when something is preventable, failure to act is irresponsible. With this campaign, we want to open a public debate that is not only technical, but also ethical, social, and political, thus preventing deaths that should never occur.”
He continued (translated) “In Spain, 32% of drivers still admit to having driven their vehicle after consuming alcohol, and up to 50% have traveled with a drunk driver. Despite knowing the risks, many people still believe they’re ‘in control’ after a couple of drinks because they haven’t suffered any consequences. But when those consequences come, there’s no turning back, and you often end up taking not only your own life but also the lives of others who have nothing to do with your irresponsible driving. That’s why it’s so important to take significant measures, such as using breathalyzers and monitoring and sanctioning, to prevent casualties.”