Mothers Against Drunk Driving is continuing their campaign to eradicate drunken driving through technology as well as more stringent law enforcement and tougher state laws. Alcohol-related traffic fatalities have declined 40 percent since MADD was founded in 1980 but the organization points out that every year nearly 13,000 people are killed by drunk drivers with an illegal blood alcohol level of .08 or above. The MADD campaign includes calling for breath-test interlock devices in the vehicle of anyone convicted of drunken driving. MADD says that with emerging technology, “the vision that drunk drivers will not be able to operate vehicles is no longer a dream but, with substantial research, a real possibility.” U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Nicole Nason have called for the use ignition interlocks.

An ignition interlock is located inside the vehicle near the driver's seat and is connected to the engine's ignition system. Before starting the vehicle, a driver must blow into the device. The vehicle will not start if the driver's blood alcohol concentration is above the pre-set limit. The cost of installing an interlock is roughly $1,000 per vehicle. Last year, there were an estimated 80,000 interlock devices on US roads, despite 1.4 million drunken driving arrests, according to MADD. In Europe, Sweden intends to require all new cars to have the ignition interlocks by 2012.

Ford Motor Co.'s Volvo unit has an Alcolock built into the seat belt buckle that may be available as an option in the U.S. by 2009. GM's Saab division has an AlcoKey, a vehicle key that has a mouthpiece and breath analyzer. A driver breathes into the key that sends an electronic signal to the car through a radio transmitter.
There were more than a million drunk driving arrests in 2006. Since 1999, every state has set a 0.08 blood alcohol level as the point at which a driver can be convicted of drunken driving. States also have added penalties such as instant cancellation of driver's licenses and vehicle impoundment for suspects who refuse blood alcohol tests. MADD also supports random checkpoints and other high-visibility law enforcement to crack down on drunken driving and says it will fight laws in ten states that prevent drunken driving checkpoints.
 
The organization, along with the U.S. Department of Transportation, is pushing for such devices as well as tougher enforcement measures around the country. “If we can't stop drunks from driving, we'll stop vehicles from driving drunks,” said Glynn Birch, president of MADD, at a news conference. Birch said technology, along with tougher laws and enforcement, has put eliminating drunken driving “within our reach.” The organization wants states to pass laws requiring breath-test interlock devices in vehicles for all those who have been convicted of drunken driving, even after the first offense. The device shuts down the car if alcohol is detected. Only New Mexico has such a law for first offenders; other states allow the device for repeat offenders.

“This technology is definitely going to reduce the number of DUIs and potentially the number of alcohol related fatalities,” said Emily Tompkins the Colorado executive director of MADD. “We know, for instance, seat belts save lives and airbags save lives. This is taking it many steps further.” MADD says it is a solution that drunk drivers cannot dodge. “They will have to have that piece of technology installed when they get their license back,” said Tompkins. MADD also wants states to implement more sobriety checkpoints. It also wants to establish a panel of safety experts to explore other technology options that would help prevent drunk driving.
 
“Drunk driving is a problem that is painful and persistent, but it's also preventable,” said Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters in a statement. “Pairing the public and private sectors for the common good is a powerful combination, one that will help us achieve real results in terms of saving lives and preventing injuries.” Each year, nearly 13,000 people are killed by drunk drivers with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or above and countless others are injured, according to MADD. Other organizations joining the campaign include the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Distilled Spirits Council and the International Association of Chiefs of Police.