August 2020

The Breath Sensors

Over the past several months, the DADSS Program analyzed data collected from on-road tests to verify and validate the GEN 3.2 sensors – confirming they work as intended. The data also informs improvements to the sensors, such as reducing their variability. In addition, our partners in Sweden, Senseair, recently sent us a new generation (GEN 3.3) of breath-based prototypes for initial qualification. This latest version signifies a milestone; they will be used for the next phase of on-road testing and are one step closer to a consumer-ready product.

The following statement is attributable to Robert Strassburger, President & CEO of ACTS regarding today’s report from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) on the potential impact of alcohol-detection systems.

“Today’s study is both a strong endorsement of the potential life-saving impact of the DADSS technologies and an important reminder of the work that still remains in the fight to reduce alcohol-impaired driving fatalities. We draw added encouragement from IIHS’ recognition of the use of DADSS technologies as an intervention that could save thousands of lives. We are committed to completing our work to develop robust technology that can be successfully deployed as widely as possible.

In August 2019, the state of Maryland announced the launch of a new traffic safety partnership between the Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration (MDOT MVA) and the Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety (ACTS) and its Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety Research Program (DADSS Research Program), known as Driven to Protect | Maryland. Through the Driven to Protect initiative, Maryland is supporting the advancement of the DADSS alcohol detection sensor technology.