Push underway to install alcohol monitoring devices in every new vehicle in US
SACRAMENTO — A push is underway to have alcohol monitoring devices installed in every new vehicle sold in America.
In 2021, there were 27 DUI-related manslaughter cases in Sacramento. That is more than twice as many from 2020.
Nationwide, one out of three traffic crashes involves driving under the influence. Now, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is urging all new vehicles sold in America to be equipped with alcohol-impairment detectors or advanced driver monitoring systems.
A DUI driver killed Rhonda Campbell's sister Irene.
"The man who killed my sister was a four-time repeat offender," she said.
The new recommendation stems from a 2021 New Year's Day crash in the Central Valley town of Avenal that killed nine people, including six children.
NTSB investigators determined that the driver of the SUV had a blood alcohol level of more than two and a half times the legal limit.
Many people convicted of DUI already have similar devices installed in their cars, but Sacramento DUI attorney John Campanella says there still could be some concerns.
"What are they capturing and how accurate are the devices and who is it being reported to?"
Several car makers are working with federal highway safety officials to refine the technology.
An infrastructural law signed by President Biden requires new vehicles to come with a monitoring system like this as early as 2026.
