Hold the Sake! Japanese Automakers Working On Booze Lockouts

Toyota and Nissan are both accelerating development of lockouts that would make it difficult or impossible for a tippler to travel. Nissan's contemplating a very long PIN code that would be hard for a drunk to operate, while Toyota's playing with breathalyzer technology. The effort follows a rash of media coverage in the land of the rising sun following a number of high-profile drunk-driving incidents, including one where an inebriated motorist knocked a car off a bridge, killing three children.

Japanese automakers developing cars that refuse drunk drivers [Mainichi Daily News]

Related:
Saab Develops Breathalizer Key [Internal]

3:00 PM on Fri Sep 15 2006
By Davey G. Johnson
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5 comments

Comments

JCWhitless at 02:55 PM on 09/15/06
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My Suntory Whiskey binges will never be the same again...
Jonny Lieberman at 03:15 PM on 09/15/06
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Connectedness Index: 100
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I can't wait until they get sued because of an emergency situation and someone dies because another person couldn't get the car started.
eltonito at 04:04 PM on 09/15/06
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Why not use an already acceptable standard, such as WEP?

You just enter a 128bit WEP key to get the car started! Surely everyone can commit "4a5a765749457d385b233f4e5c" to memory and quickly type it in with an armfull of takeaway.

Cisco/Linksys would make a fortune off of this.
PaulO at 04:09 PM on 09/15/06
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I do not think a brethalizer would be effective. I usually brush my teeth right before I leave for work in the morning, and the mouthwash would leave me registering as a drunk. It would be a good excuse for being late to work though.
MurileeMartin at 04:28 PM on 09/15/06
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What they need is the Booz-Barometer! Put one of these things on the dash and hook it up to the fuel pump: problem solved!