On December 8, the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) convened traffic safety partners to announce the next phase of the Driven to Protect Initiative in Virginia: an exciting new trial deployment with international transportation and logistics provider 

Schneider, an industry leader and innovator in truck safety technology, will be the first trucking company to work with the DADSS Program — marking a new milestone toward the commercialization of the DADSS technology and an important next step in testing. As part of this new trial deployment, Schneider will outfit eight of their cabs with the latest breath sensors in 2022, logging more than 100,000 sensor miles for each vehicle outfitted, for a collective total of almost one million miles. This deployment will help refine the technology by increasing the stress that the system is put under on the road, exponentially increasing the number of miles driven, and exposing the system to new drivers and a wider range of environmental conditions – all key to the DADSS Program’s quest to commercialize fully passive vehicle-integrated breath technology.

The effort builds upon Driven to Protect’s ongoing partnership with Virginia-based James River Transportation, which was the first time the breath sensors were tested as part of in-vehicle, on-road test trials involving light passenger vehicles.

 featured remarks from Richard D. Holcomb, commissioner of the Virginia DMV; Tom DiSalvi, vice president of safety, driver training, and compliance at Schneider; and Robert Strassburger, president and CEO of the Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety (ACTS).

“Virginians should be proud of our state’s leadership in public safety and technology innovation,” said Commissioner Holcomb. “The progress we have made since 2018 has advanced this game-changing anti-drunk driving technology, and I am excited to see how this new deployment will bring the technology one step closer to saving countless lives on our roadways.”

After the program, speakers and guests were able to get a close-up look at the DADSS technology in the Schneider truck, as well as in other demonstration vehicles. Those in attendance were also given a chance to learn more about the technology development process and see videos and resources available for Virginia educators and the public at the 

. Attendees were excited to see the progress the technology has made so far thanks to the deployments taking place in Virginia and were hopeful that a future without drunk driving is closer than ever before.

Check out out photos from the event here:

The Next Phase of Driven to Protect in Virginia 

Collaboration with Schneider will bring lifesaving technology one step closer to market

. – Today, the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), the Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety (ACTS) and Schneider (NYSE: SNDR), a premier provider of transportation, intermodal and logistics services, announced a collaboration that will make Schneider the first truckload carrier to conduct a trial deployment of lifesaving technology developed through the 

Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety (DADSS) Program

Since 2018, the Driven to Protect Initiative, a public-private partnership between the Virginia DMV and the DADSS Program, has been helping to test in-vehicle alcohol detection technology that will determine if a driver is impaired with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) at or above the applicable legal limit[1] in the Commonwealth — and prevent the vehicle from moving.

“Virginians should be proud of our state’s leadership in public safety and technology innovation,” said 

Virginia DMV Commissioner Richard D. Holcomb, the Governor’s Highway Safety Representative

. “The progress we have made since 2018 has advanced this game-changing anti-drunk driving technology, and I am excited to see how this new deployment will bring the technology one step closer to saving countless lives on our roadways.”

Schneider is the first truckload carrier to work with the DADSS Program — marking a new milestone toward widespread deployment of in-vehicle alcohol detection technology. An industry leader and innovator in truck safety technology, Schneider implemented speed limiters in the 1980s and has continued to be an early adopter of other safety technology such as stability control systems, electronic logging devices, collision mitigation systems and forward- and side-mounted video cameras.

“Safety comes first at Schneider, always, and we believe in going above and beyond industry standards. We look forward to the opportunity to pilot groundbreaking safety technology developed to help save lives,” said 

Schneider Vice President of Safety, Driver Training and Compliance Tom DiSalvi

. “We know our team of professional drivers will embrace this technology because, just as with previous safety enhancements, they will be part of a solution that will make our highways safer.”

As part of this new trial deployment, Schneider will outfit eight of their cabs with the latest breath sensors in 2022, logging more than 100,000 sensor miles for each vehicle outfitted, for a collective total of almost one million miles. This pilot will help refine the technology by increasing the stress that the system is put under on the road, exponentially increasing the number of miles driven and exposing the system to new drivers and a wider range of environmental conditions — all key to the DADSS Program’s quest to commercialize fully passive vehicle-integrated breath technology.

The effort builds upon the Virginia DMV’s ongoing partnership with Virginia-based James River Transportation through the Driven to Protect Initiative, which was the first time the breath sensors were tested as part of in-vehicle, on-road test trials involving light passenger vehicles.

The DADSS technology suite remains widely accepted as the most promising and expedient pathway to prevent drunk driving fatalities on a large scale. Last month, Congress demonstrated its commitment to advanced technology solutions by including them in the new Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which lays out a process for deploying advanced drunk and impaired driving prevention technology.

DADSS technology, once commercially available, could drastically reduce the number of drunk driving deaths in Virginia and across the United States. 

According to a study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)

, when widely deployed in all vehicles, such an alcohol detection system could help eliminate the number one cause of fatalities on U.S. roadways and save more than 9,000 lives each year. Last year, Virginia alone reported 6,624 alcohol-related crashes, 272 alcohol-related fatalities and 3,386 alcohol-related injuries on its roadways.

“With Virginia’s support, the DADSS technology has gone from an early prototype to a viable safety feature for all vehicles in the future, much like seat belts and airbags,” said 

Rob Strassburger, President and CEO of ACTS

Through Driven to Protect, Virginia continues to put the health and safety of its residents first by educating the next generation about responsible driving behavior and by advancing technology that can prevent additional drunk driving crashes, injuries, and deaths on its roads. In 2020, with partners including the Virginia Department of Education, Driven to Protect developed a virtual platform — the 

— to educate students about safe driving and the science behind the DADSS technology. Through these efforts, Driven to Protect has helped build awareness, acceptance and demand for this lifesaving technology among Virginians — bringing us one step closer to a world without drunk driving.

For more information about the Driven to Protect Initiative in Virginia, visit 

About The DADSS Program and Driven to Protect Initiative

The Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety (DADSS) Program is a public-private partnership between the Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety (ACTS), which represents the world’s leading automakers and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Public-private partnerships like DADSS have led to innovations that enhance our everyday lives, such as the internet, GPS and the microchip. The program is researching a first-of-its-kind technology called the alcohol detection system that will detect when a driver is impaired with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) at or above the legal limit and prevent a vehicle from moving. The Commonwealth of Virginia’s Department of Motor Vehicles has joined this program to support on-road testing and increase public awareness and acceptance of the technology through the 

Schneider is a premier provider of transportation and logistics services. Offering one of the broadest portfolios in the industry, Schneider’s solutions include 

With nearly $4.6 billion in annual revenue, Schneider has been safely delivering superior customer experiences and investing in innovation for over 85 years. The company’s digital marketplace, 

®, is revolutionizing the industry giving shippers access to an expanded, highly flexible capacity network and provides carriers with unmatched access to quality drop-and-hook freight – Always Delivering, Always Ahead.

For more information about Schneider, visit 

[1] The applicable legal limit for operators of commercial motor vehicles is 0.04%. The applicable limit for operators of privately owned light cars and trucks aged 21 years and older is 0.08%. There is a zero-tolerance limit for operators under the age of 21 years.

Driven to Protect Virginia Announces Largest Commercial Trial Deployment of Innovative, Alcohol Detection Technology to Date

On August 17th, the Driven to Protect team presented to the Future Leaders in Mobility at the Volkswagen Group of America (VWGoA) Headquarters in Herndon, VA.The Future Leaders in Mobility Program is a weeklong camp for rising high school juniors and seniors from underserved communities in the DMV area, created by VWGoA and the Greater Washington Urban League (GWUL), focused on teaching students about the range of STEM career opportunities in the automotive industry.

The team hosted the students, chaperons, and VWGoA executives outside of the VWGoA headquarters on the Learning Experience Trailer. The team presented information on alcohol and driving risks, the historical background and technical facts about the DADSS technologies, and the work the Driven to Protect team is doing in Virginia to advance the technologies. The team also focused on the specific careers the students could pursue to be involved in developing similar technology.

The students asked very insightful questions about the program, with many expressing their interest in pursuing an engineering career. Both the students and the chaperons were enthusiastic about the technology and program and commented on how the DADSS technologies would be helpful in preventing DUIs. In addition to the Learning Experience Trailer, the Driven to Protect team displayed the demo vehicles to give students the opportunity to check out the latest DADSS technology sensors.

At the end of the presentation, nearly all of the students said they would want the technology in their car and wanted to know when it would be available to the public. We had a wonderful time interacting with the students and were excited by their interest in the Driven to Protect initiative and the lifesaving DADSS technology.

Driven to Protect Presents to Future Leaders in Mobility Program

Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety, Inc. (ACTS),

 a Virginia non-profit, announced that the first product equipped with new alcohol detection technology will be available for open licensing in commercial vehicles for the first time ever, in late 2021.

The new technology is the result of extensive research, development and testing by the 

, which is a public–private partnership between ACTS, which represents the world’s leading automakers, and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The announcement is significant because it is the first time a product equipped with DADSS technology will come out of the lab and into commercial vehicles. It is also a major milestone in the Program’s quest to create a fully passive, non-invasive alcohol detection system that could have major implications in the fight to eliminate drunk driving. Unlike existing breathalyzers or interlocks, the DADSS technology can be seamlessly integrated into vehicles so there is no physical hardware in the vehicle cabin. A consumer version is still under development and is expected by 2024.

“Open licensing” means that the technology, which measures a driver’s breath alcohol concentration, will be made available to any product integrator for preparation into fleet vehicles — whether it be government vehicles, rental cars, transportation vehicles, trucking companies, etc.

ACTS will begin licensing the DADSS technology to product integrators now, and a device equipped with the breath technology will be made available in late 2021. The technology was originally scheduled to be released in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic caused significant disruption in supply chains which limited microchip availability.

“The availability of DADSS technology is an exciting moment in motor vehicle safety history and a victory for scientific innovation,” 

said Robert Strassburger, President & CEO of ACTS.

 “After extensive testing, we are proud to say that a product ‘powered by DADSS’ is coming this year. We hope this announcement will heighten awareness and interest in the DADSS technology, so we can hit the ground running when the first product is available later this year.

“DADSS technology will be a game changer in the fight to eliminate drunk driving, and that is why we continue to push ourselves to expedite the development of a system for consumer vehicles. This sophisticated technology — measuring a driver’s precise BAC in less than a second — is a true feat of biomedical and vehicle engineering. It is unlike anything ever designed for vehicles and requires further development to become fully passive for consumer use.”

“This achievement was made possible thanks to so many individuals who believe in the life-saving mission of DADSS and who worked tirelessly to get a product to market,” 

said Dr. Bud Zaouk, DADSS Program & Technical Manager.

 “We’re already hard at work preparing the technology for future use in consumer vehicles and are currently in the next phase of testing to ensure the systems are fast, accurate, reliable and seamless for drivers. As a father, I’m personally excited to help build a safer world for my young children and for all parents who want to protect their loved ones with this technology.”

In the first-generation system, drivers provide a puff of breath directed towards a small sensor, which can be outfitted in the steering column or side door trim. Because it is designed for fleet operators implementing a zero-tolerance alcohol policy for their drivers, staff or employees, the system will give a “pass/fail” reading of the driver’s breath alcohol concentration. The first products integrated with DADSS technology are being manufactured by 

, a global leader in infrared gas measurement technology. More about the first-generation technology can be found 

, the first-generation system has undergone in-vehicle, on-road test trials with 

, a Richmond-based company. Since the partnership began in 2018, technology integrators have installed breath sensors into the company’s Ford Flex commercial vehicles; the data and feedback collected from the sensors, as well as from the drivers themselves, have been invaluable in finalizing the technology and preparing it for more widespread use in fleet vehicles.

The next-generation system being developed for widespread use in consumer vehicles is designed to be fully passive and will be able to measure specific alcohol concentrations up to 0.08% — the legal limit in most states — and above. It will not require a directed breath or other action, as the driver breathes normally into sensors outfitted in the steering column or side door trim. The system is being designed to take an accurate reading in a matter of seconds and will be able to tell the difference between a driver and any passengers. Extensive human subject testing in a hospital setting and human subject driving is ongoing and required to ensure the technology meets the exceptionally high standards required for accuracy, precision and reliability before it can be made available for consumers.

A comparison of the two systems can be found 

New iterations of the technology are expected to be announced in the coming years.

The Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety (DADSS) Program is a public-private partnership between the Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety (ACTS), which represents the world’s leading automakers and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Public-private partnerships like DADSS have led to innovations that enhance our everyday lives, such as the Internet, GPS and the microchip. The Program is researching a first-of-its-kind technology called the alcohol detection system that will detect when a driver is impaired with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) at or above 0.08%, and prevent a vehicle from moving. The Commonwealth of Virginia’s Department of Motor Vehicles has joined this program to support on-road testing and increase public awareness and acceptance of the technology through the Driven to Protect Initiative. For more information about the DADSS Program, visit 

Today, ACTS announced  the first product equipped with new alcohol detection technology from the DADSS Research Program will be available for open licensing in commercial vehicles for the first time ever, in late 2021.

New Alcohol Detection Technology From DADSS Coming to Commercial Vehicles This Year

On March 30th, Driven to Protect hosted the second webinar in the 

. Attendees were able to learn about how the DADSS alcohol detection technology can support fleet operators in furthering their safe driving goals while helping to eliminate drunk driving.

KEA Technologies President and CEO Dr. Bud Zaouk

 gave an in-depth look at how the alcohol detection technology works, and the importance of the development and testing process

. Impact Research, LLC Senior Research Scientist Dr. Rebecca Spicer 

provided insights into the critical role the technology plays in reducing roadway injuries and fatalities, particularly for fleets. And 

James River Transportation (JRT) President Stephen Story

 shared his perspective as Driven to Protect’s first fleet partner, highlighting the essential role JRT has played in collecting data from the sensors and the benefits of the technology for all fleets.

After learning about the importance of fleet partnerships in furthering the development of the life-saving technology, attendees had the opportunity to ask questions of the experts and hear more about the ways fleets have already impacted safe driving efforts in Virginia. 

George Bishop, deputy commissioner of the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles

, moderated this Q&A with the panel of experts.

Click here to view the full webinar recording

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The Next Phase of Driven to Protect in Virginia

Driven to Protect Virginia Announces Largest Commercial Trial Deployment of Innovative, Alcohol Detection Technology to Date

Driven to Protect Presents to Future Leaders in Mobility Program

New Alcohol Detection Technology From DADSS Coming to Commercial Vehicles This Year

Experts Share Insights into the Role of Fleets in Driven to Protect