With the rise of technology such as SaverOne, it is no longer a dream to imagine a day when roads will be free of drunk and distracted drivers. Let’s take a look at how this innovative technology aligns with a state such as New York that has taken a proactive stance against drunk driving.
SaverOne was founded with the goal of creating safer roads by preventing a major cause of car accidents, distracted driving. The technology takes on the problem holistically, addressing the issue of distracted driving from the perspective of both the driver and the vehicle. The technology can be deployed in several platforms – a personal vehicle or a fleet of vehicles from an employer – and comes with a variety of features that protect the driver from distractions.
The legal alcohol limit in NY for drivers in New York is different depending on the age of the driver. For drivers over the age of 21, the limit is 0.08 percent blood alcohol concentration (BAC). For commercial drivers, the legal limit is 0.04 percent BAC. For drivers under the age of 21 and those driving with a conditional or limited license, the legal limit is simply 0.02 percent BAC.
The reason for laws governing the legal alcohol limit in New York and other states can be traced back to the trauma of cases where a drunk driver caused accidents. This includes cases such as the tragic incident in which a driver plowed into a group of travelers in July of 2019 on the Upper West Side of New York City and killed an unsuspecting seven-year-old schoolgirl. The fatalities and injuries suffered by the individuals involved caused many in the state of New York to call for drunk driving to be targeted as a major cause of road accidents, and for laws to be formed that governed a legal limit for alcohol intake and the blood alcohol content (BAC) allowed.
Enforcing the legal alcohol drinking limits through sobriety checkpoints is helpful in targeting drunk driving in the state of New York. However, an alternate and innovative solution may come in the form of alcohol detection technology, which could be set up in places where alcohol consumption often occurs, such as restaurants, bars, or concert halls, to deter people from drinking and driving. The Sobriety System, along with SaverOne technology installed in cars, could serve as a powerful tool in allowing for the deterring of car accidents.
SaverOne technology is designed to either be incorporated into an existing vehicle, or be fully integrated into a personal vehicle or company fleet of vehicles. The distracted driving prevention technology utilizes sensors that are installed in the vehicle, and utilizes software that integrates with a phone to determine whether the vehicle driver is distracted. As long as the phone is in the vehicle, an alert will sound when the driver is distracted. The sensors will go off when the driver is distracted by the phone, and will collect information about where the phone is located and what is distracting the driver, while allowing the driver to make an informed decision regarding whether or not to answer the phone while behind the wheel.
In September of 2020, the Washington State Department of Transportation reported that preliminary data from 2020 showed that 326 people died in fatal crashes in the state, amounting to a 35% increase in fatalities as compared to 2019 levels. The increase in fatalities as compared to prior years has captured the attention of law enforcement and lawmakers. In March of 2021, a month of enhanced enforcement actions targeting distracted driving on state roads resulted in 851 tickets and warnings. Importantly, while roads will always pose a risk to drivers, the reduction in fatalities due to road accidents can be decreased greatly by technology solutions like that offered by SaverOne.
SaverOne technology could either be used in conjunction with existing sobriety checkpoints as an additional control for drunk or distracted drivers, or the technology could be incorporated into the sobriety system to allow for the detection of alcohol on a driver before they get in their vehicle. Configuration of the sobriety system may be customized based on the exact needs of the state, but important factors such as the setting (restaurants, bars, concerts, etc.), the sensors to be utilized, and the testing method could all be taken into consideration in the overall design.
The state of New York has been proactive in implementing measures designed to prevent driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. However, not every driver has received the message, and even those that do may sometimes choose to drive while impaired. Solutions such as SaverOne provide those concerned-such as employers who want to protect their employees and the public, and insurers who are worried about reducing the number of traffic-related incidents-an opportunity to save costs and potentially increase profits by decreasing the number of claims and reserves required.
Driver distraction has been a known cause of car accidents for long enough that fines and charges have been issued to those driving while distracted for several years. However, it has not been until recently that technology makers and lawmakers have caught up and made strides to address the issue of driver distraction. Therefore, even though the technology is new in scope and function, and there are no previous studies of the long-term effect of the solution, it is likely that the technology will be successful in decreasing the rate of distracted driving and, as a result, improving road safety.
The governor of New York signed legislation in 2003 which lowered the legal alcohol limit for commercial drivers from .10 to .04 percent and required criminal charges for any commercial driver found to be operating a motor vehicle while legally drunk. This legislation, called Leandra’s Law, was a result of the increase in alcohol-related accidents in the state and the need for a deterrent to reduce driver error due to excessive alcohol ingestion.
For more information on alcohol limits and regulations, you can visit this Wikipedia page.
