 Drunken Saab drivers may find their car won't start |
Swedish car maker Saab has said it may build a breathalyser into its car keys which would shut down the engine when the driver has drunk too much alcohol. The device - dubbed the Alcokey - would prevent drunken drivers from taking to the road until they had sobered up.
Saab said it expected the Alcokey to appeal especially to companies who provide cars to their employees.
It would also appeal to parents whose children are of driving age, Saab added
Saab's plans were welcomed by anti-drink driving campaigners.
Identity check
"We certainly applaud any of these major automotive companies who are coming up with innovative ways of dealing with the problem," said Wendy Hamilton of Mothers Against Drink Driving.
The Alcokey would cost about $300 (�162) in the US, and may eventually be adopted by GM-owned Saab's sister brands, which include Chevrolet, Cadillac and Buick. Sweden is one of several countries to have embraced so-called 'alcohol safety interlock' technology, obliging persistent drink-drivers to have Alcokey-style devices fitted to their cars.
However, Saab admitted that drunk drivers could circumvent the Alcokey by asking a sober friend to blow into the breathalyzer.
"It's not foolproof," said Kevin Smith, Saab's spokesman in the US.
More secure systems - including one using voice recognition software to check the identity of the person using the breathalyser - are available, but these are more expensive.
Mr Smith said Saab was working on ways to prevent drivers from outwitting the Alcokey.
One-Minute World News 
News services
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 
It's not foolproof 
