Connecticut drivers know that getting behind the wheel while drunk can lead to painful, or fatal, car accidents, yet drunk driving remains a problem nationwide. However, there have been new advances in technology that hope to make a dent in this problem.
As Geektime reports, an Israeli developer has created an app that can detect when a user is drunk without a breathalyzer. The app collects data on a user’s movements in the background, running on a smartphone or wearable device constantly, so it has an indication of how the user normally walks and moves while sober. Using this data, it can detect changes in the user’s movements when he or she has had too much to drink. So far they have been able to predict with 93 percent accuracy. This is still in production, but the developer hopes to use the information and communicate with the car to tell it not to start when the user has been drinking too much.
According to KTHV, a different app is now being used in Faulkner County, Arkansas, which records a video of a breathalyzer test and sends the video and test results into a monitoring system that can alert authorities. The app, Check BAC, is being used for repeat DWI offenders, who studies show make up one-third of all drunk drivers. County officials hope this will help to hold offenders accountable while also getting to the root cause of the problem: alcohol issues. The offenders are required to log into the app every three hours, and random tests can also happen throughout the day.