Toyota and Hino announce that, as part of their efforts to eradicate drunk driving, they will jointly test a breath-alcohol ignition-interlock system under development by Toyota. The breath-alcohol ignition-interlock system features a hand-held unit containing both a breathalyzer that can detect alcohol in a small breath sample and a digital camera that photographs the driver’s face for test-taker identification. If the test result is positive, the system either warns the driver or locks the vehicle’s ignition, depending on the level of alcohol detected. The system thus prevents drivers from operating vehicles in an inebriated state, while follow-up instructions given by fleet administrators aim to further reduce the possibility of alcohol-related traffic accidents.
The breath-alcohol ignition-interlock system, aimed to aid companies and organizations better manage their fleet-vehicle operations, will be installed on selected trucks and other vehicles of Japanese transport companies and tested from September 1 to November 30.The tests will verify system functionality, particularly ease-of-use in real-world situations.Tests will include drivers conducting self-breath tests before they operate a vehicle and, after vehicle use, fleet administrators monitoring and verifying the test results automatically recorded on the vehicle’s digital tachograph. For those that may have already had a run in with the law, contact the top San Diego DUI Defense lawyer for expert advice and consultation.