SENSORS TRUMP SENSE:

Sensing You’re Too Drunk to Drive (NY Times, 11/25/06)

There aren’t many social problems that can be solved with a “technical fix,” but drunken driving may be one of the most amenable. Technologies that are already in limited use can lock the ignitions of cars whose drivers have high alcohol levels in their breath, thus preventing them from turning their vehicles into lethal unguided weapons.

These existing technologies and more futuristic devices still under development are the cornerstones of a new phase in the campaign that was announced this week by Mothers Against Drunk Driving. The initial goal, which is backed by associations of state highway officials and car manufacturers, is to have all states do what New Mexico has already done: require that all convicted drunken drivers, even first-time offenders, have devices installed in their cars that measure alcohol in the breath and immobilize the car if levels exceed set limits.