What would happen if we put sensors above the steering wheel of every car, which would sense alcohol on your breath and know from the contents of the air if you were near or over the legal limit? What if such a system existed and would simply be connected to another sensor, which disabled the ignition and thus the car would not start at all? Would this cut down on the 42,000 per year deaths on the road in the United States? After all this is how many people die each year in automobiles, not all are from Drunk Drivers, but the number of drunk driving related deaths is rather large. How many people per year could we honestly save with such a system?
Well we would immediately save some 10,000 people per year, but at the same time raise the prices of cars some $300 meaning some people could not afford the cars that they would need to get to work. TRW and the Carlyle group would like it however as they are involved in the making of airbags and such automobile type devices. Additionally you might tell the anti-war protestors that well, we lost 2500 liberating a whole country, Iraq, but we will now save 10,000 every year now from drunk driving auto accidents.
Perhaps we ought to talk with the auto industry and see if they can make these devices or sensors for under $200 and then if so, mount the sensor on the steering column? I mean saving 10,000 to 15,000 people per year is 100,000 per decade? That would be far more than we have lost in all the wars since WWII? So, although the idea is kind of Big Brother'ish in scope, it would save lives and well, it is a thought? So, think on this in 2006.
"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/