Starting next July , all newly manufactured cars will have to carry eight ADAS (Advanced Driving Assistance Systems) as standard, according to the regulation approved by the European Parliament. Among them, and also one of the most outstanding, is what is called an anti-start breathalyzer, also mandatory. But what is this system about and how does it work?
A vehicle lockout with a breathalyzer
Vehicle manufacturers are continually innovating and equipping vehicles with very sophisticated systems, with a more advanced technological level, in order to continuously reduce the number of traffic accidents, injuries and victims. This includes the ADAS systems , which are the Advanced Driving Assistance Systems.
Some systems that help the driver and are not an automatic pilot, always having to pay maximum attention while driving. Although the objective is to gradually incorporate these new systems in the coming years, among the first eight that the newly approved cars will have to bring from the factory from July, the vehicle locking system with an anti-start breathalyzer stands out, also called alcolock , incorporated .
In this sense, before being able to start the vehicle, the person who is going to drive will have to undergo the relevant alcohol test. Its installation will depend on the legislation of each country, but each one of the manufacturers will have to carry the same system.
What is the immobilizer breathalyzer
The pre-installation consists of a standardized interface for all brands and models of new homologation so that the alcolock device itself can be easily installed. Thus, its function is to prevent the car from starting when it detects that the driver has consumed alcohol or has done so above the permitted limits.
In Spain, the limits for the presence of alcohol in expired air are between 0.25 mg/l and up to 0.5 mg/l (between 0.15 mg/l and 0.3 mg/l for novices and professionals). This measure, effective as of July 6, 2022, has the ability to analyze alcohol concentrations in expired air while being directly connected to the vehicle’s ignition.
If you refuse, the vehicle will not allow you to start it either . In addition, and with something also striking, is that this smart immobilizer breathalyzer can be programmed to carry out, for example, an exhaustive monitoring of the vehicle or the driver himself in terms of alcohol use. Undoubtedly, a very effective measure to reduce accidents caused by the presence of alcohol at the wheel.
We will be able to consult all the tests carried out
Similar to the device used by road traffic agents, it has the logical function that if the established limits are not met, the engine cannot be started. And how is this avoided? Thanks to an electronic vehicle immobilizer , one of the components of the anti-start breathalyzer together with the system for detecting the concentration of alcohol in expired air.
As such, it will have a screen where we can find out more about the driver’s profile and all the tests that he has carried out since he first got into the vehicle. In this way, and thanks to an internal memory that will allow us to store up to 100,000 tests, we will have an extensive history whose data can be downloaded for different reviews.
For the moment, it will be for drivers of road passenger transport vehicles that have an interface for the installation of anti-start breathalyzers. However, it is a measure that will be gradually introduced in other vehicles, since from July 6, 2024 it will also be mandatory for newly registered buses and coaches.
All in all, the path towards the implementation of these boot technologies does not seem to be turning back. Therefore, it is better to become aware of this and prepare for the consequences that this system will have when it enters the scene, with which it is expected that thousands of lives can be saved in traffic accidents caused by driving after having consumed alcohol.