Government Speeds Research On Systems To Prevent Drunk, Unbuckled Drivers From Operating Cars
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The government is speeding up research on safety systems that automatically prevent drivers from operating their cars if they are drunk or aren't buckled properly.
Officials also said Thursday that they expect to decide by year's end how to encourage automakers to make available in more cars some special safety systems already in certain high-end vehicles. Those systems warn drivers before a collision that they are about to run into another vehicle, and can brake automatically to avoid a crash or make it less severe.
The innovations - collision avoidance, seat belt interlocks and driver alcohol detection systems - hold the potential of dramatically reducing traffic fatalities, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
As they looked ahead to emerging safety technologies, officials released data showing the first increase in highway fatalities since 2005. There were 33,561 traffic deaths in 2012, 1,082 more than the year before.
"We need a new vision and a new blend of technological research to address some of the most significant and persistent threats to American motorists," the agency's head, David Strickland, said in a statement. "We must look to technological intervention to make the next great leap, and get them poised for fleet adoption as soon as possible."
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