Gender identity, marijuana and breathalyzers: 3 unexpected items in the infrastructure bill
2. Advanced drunk and impaired driving technology
The infrastructure bill also calls for the inclusion of “advanced drunk and impaired driving technology” as “standard equipment in all new passenger motor vehicles.”
It would require the secretary of transportation to issue a rule three years after the passage of the infrastructure bill requiring all new vehicles in the U.S. to contain such equipment.
The rule would give car manufacturers two to three years to comply unless the secretary extended the deadline, meaning the technology would likely be required in all new cars by the end of the decade. It is part of Title IV of the infrastructure bill, which outlines priorities for enhancing “vehicle safety.”
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According to the definition laid out, “advanced drunk and impaired driving technology” can “passively monitor the performance of a driver of a motor vehicle to accurately identify whether that driver may be impaired." The technology should “prevent or limit motor vehicle operation if an impairment is detected” or “passively and accurately detect whether the blood alcohol concentration of a driver of a motor vehicle is equal to or greater than” the legal limit. The technology should “prevent or limit motor vehicle operation if a blood alcohol concentration above the legal limit is detected.”
While the infrastructure bill does not explicitly outline what “advanced drunk and impaired driving technology” consists of, Fox News host Tucker Carlson elaborated on the type of technology that may soon become commonplace in American vehicles on his show last week.
“This bill requires all new vehicles in the United States to come with monitoring technology such as eye scanners or breathalyzers," he said.
Carlson expressed concerns about the implications of this technology.
“Going forward, you will need the express permission of your federal overlords before you start your car in the morning because it’s their car now,” he quipped.
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: [email protected]
