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

For more information about the DADSS Program, use these materials:

In the Fall of 2020, we launched the Driven to Protect Discovery Hub, offering free videos and educational resources – including a series of STEM- inspired lessons – about alcohol-impaired driving and the ways the DADSS technology can prevent it.

For additional background on the DADSS program and resulting technologies, watch our videos below or visit our 

Take a look at the technology development process in the lab

Hear from experts behind the testing and development process

Learn about our work in Virginia, through Driven to Protect

Meet James River Transportation and learn more about on-road testing in Virginia

Hear from experts about how the technology can support fleet operators in furthering their safe driving goals

You can also download materials about the Driven to Protect program in Virginia:

Fact Sheet: Driven to Protect | Virginia’s Impact in the Commonwealth

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