A recently-introduced bill to Congress aims to put an end to drunk driving across the United States by requiring all car manufacturers begin installing alcohol monitoring equipment in their vehicles by September 2024. This legislation honors a family killed by a drunk driver in January 2019.

Congresswoman Debbie Dingall (D) of Michigan introduced HR 4354 in 2019, but is making a renewed call to action on the two-year anniversary of the crash that killed the Abbas family. The family, including both parents and three children, were driving through Kentucky when a wrong-way drunk driver struck their vehicle. All five were killed in the crash, including the driver of the other vehicle.

According to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 10,000 deaths (approximately 30 percent of all fatal crashes) are caused by drunk driving each year. That means one person is killed in a drunk driving crash every 48 minutes. Further, the average drunk driver has driven 80 times before a first arrest.

HR 4354 explained

HR 4354 is colloquially known as the HALT Drunk Driving Act, which stands for the Honoring Abbas Family Legacy to Terminate Drunk Driving Act. Per the text:

“To direct the Secretary of Transportation to prescribe a motor vehicle safety standard requiring motor vehicles to be equipped with an advanced alcohol detection device that prevents a vehicle from being operated if the operator is intoxicated, to provide for a fleet demonstration of such devices, and for other purposes.”

In other words, the bill calls for car and truck manufacturers to install devices that can detect the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of a driver before they can start their vehicle – something similar to ignition interlock devices but much less intrusive. If the device detects an unlawful BAC, the vehicle will not start.

Says Dingall, “Drunk driving has brought pain to my community in Dearborn and the country. Change and progress never come as fast as we’d like, but we need to do everything we can to ensure what happened to the Abbas family never happens again. The DADSS technology has the potential to save lives.

The HALT Drunk Driving Act honors the Abbas’ family legacy by exploring the use of passive alcohol detection technology in all new cars. I’m committed to continuing to work with advocacy groups, industry, and federal regulators so we can ensure the tragedy of the Abbas family is the last tragedy caused by drunk driving.”

What is the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety?

The Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety (DADSS) is an alcohol detection technology that prevents a vehicle from starting if the driver is above the legal limit of .08 percent BAC. The DADSS Research Program is a partnership involving the Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety (ACTS) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). ACTS is a nonprofit funded by leading automakers, including: BMW, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar Land Rover, Kia, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Porsche, Subaru, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo.

At Delius & McKenzie, PLLC, we represent the rights of victims of drunk driving crashes. If you or a loved one were injured by a drunk driver, talk to our injury attorneys today. Call us at 865-428-8780 or complete our contact form to make an appointment. We represent injury victims in Sevierville, Seymour, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and the surrounding Tennessee areas.