Technology Partnership for Preventing Deaths and Injuries on Canadian Roads

New technology is emerging that encompasses a broad spectrum of circumstances that can prevent deaths and injuries on Canadian roads. Not only do we see tremendous advancements in devices designed specifically to stop impaired drivers from starting their vehicles, but technology is also emerging that can verify a valid driver’s license, identify underage and problem drinkers, and record and track driver performance.

MADD Canada believes that, in time, advance technology will eliminate impaired driving in Canada.

In 2006, representatives from MADD Canada, MADD US, Transport Canada, the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Institute for Highway Safety, major automobile manufacturers and technology companies established the Blue Ribbon Panel for the Development of Advanced Alcohol Detection Technology to assess the feasibility of a range of technologies that would prevent impaired driving. The panel is focused on developing technology that prevents drivers whose BAC limit is above a preset limit from starting their vehicles. The technology will not require a breath test and will be virtually invisible to sober drivers.

Read more about the Blue Ribbon Panel and emerging technology at the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety website at:

http://www.dadss.org/taxonomy/term/8.

Currently, the most wide-spread anti-impaired driving device is the alcohol ignition interlock. This device is similar to a breathalyzer and is installed in a vehicle’s dashboard. Before the vehicle can be started, the driver must provide a breath sample. If the reading of the breath sample is over a preset BAC limit, the vehicle will not start. Once the vehicle is started, the interlock device requires the driver to provide breath samples at random pre-set times while the engine is in operation.

Many Provinces and Territories in Canada have Alcohol Ignition Interlock Programs.

Further information for each Province and Territory can be found in the documents below.

• Rating the Provinces: The 2006 Report Card (PDF)
• Rating the Provinces: The 2007 Progress Report (PDF)
• The 2008 Progress Report: (PDF)
• The 2008 Interlock Programs Report (PDF)
• The 2009 Report Card (PDF)
  

Technology News Items:

• Ending drunk-driving deaths is in sight, experts say:
  by Jack Branswell and Ken Meaney, Canada.com, December 9, 2007 (MADD Canada Web site)
• Can technology suppress drunk driving? By Ken Thomas, Associated Press, August 23, 2007 (MADD Canada Web site)
• Group pushes for mandatory car breathalyzers: By Andy Riga, Montreal Gazette, June 7,2007 (MADD Canada Web site)
• New Technology Can Prevent Drunken Driving, The Auto Channel, June 15, 2006 (MADD Canada Web site)

Today, many companies are working on developing technology that can protect our families and friends. To find out how your company can get involved in MADD Canada’s Technology Partnership Program for preventing deaths and injuries on Canadian roads,

Contact:

Andrew Murie, C.E.O.
MADD Canada
Phone: (905) 829-8805, ext. 224
Toll Free: (800) 665-6233, ext. 224
amurie@madd.ca

MADD Canada's Gold Technology Partner

Alcohol Countermeasure Systems Corp. ("ACS") is a leading manufacturer of breath alcohol testing instruments and supplier of alcohol interlock technology/services with a well-earned reputation for the highest quality hardware, custom software applications and service delivery standards in the industry. ACS' experience with alcohol interlocks stretches back more than 30 years, and its interlock products are used to inhibit drinking and driving in 19 countries on five continents. ACS is headquartered in Canada, where its interlock division (known as Guardian Interlock Systems) is the designated service provider for offender interlock programs in all ten Provinces as well as the Yukon Territory.

Alcohol interlocks combine sophisticated breath alcohol testing and microcomputer technology. The device is installed in a vehicle in a way that prevents it from being started until the intended driver passes a breath test to demonstrate that his blood alcohol content (BAC) is below an acceptable level.

The technology and service programs developed by ACS have become one of the most effective traffic safety initiatives in this country. Numerous studies over the last 20 years have proven that alcohol interlocks effectively separate drinking and driving--making responsible decisions for people who can’t or won’t make them on their own. In Canada approximately 11,000 alcohol interlocks are installed in offender’s vehicles, and last year alone these devices prevented a vehicle from being started by a drinking driver more than 193,000 times.

MADD Canada is proud of our long-term partnership with Alcohol Countermeasure Systems and their most recent commitment as Gold Technology Sponsor.