New Steering Wheel Detects Alcohol
05-31-2005, 10:00 AM
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New Steering Wheel Detects Alcohol
New Steering Wheel Detects Alcohol - - SOurce: The Car Connection
A Florida inventor has developed a new steering-wheel-mounted sensor that could be used as an interlock to prevent drunk driving. The Associated Press reports that 54-year-old Dennis Bellehumeur has designed a $600 sensor that can detect the presence of alcohol in a driver's skin, and can prevent a vehicle from starting or driving if the driver is over the legal limit. The inventor spent 12 years working on his project after a teenage son of his suffered minor brain damage in a drunk-driving incident. Bellehumeur received his patent for the device this month, the AP reports, and hopes it will find its way into vehicles to prevent more accidents. The NHTSA estimates that about 40 percent of U.S. road fatalities are linked to alcohol.
05-31-2005, 10:19 AM
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Now let's think reality.
How do you present this to the market? Meaning, do you also see what I see when this device (like any other new feature) is slowly presented to the market? That is, seeing cars that have it deliberatly NOT selling well at all because people would avoid those vehicles equipped with this device? What will dealers do? Not stock those vehicles. What will manufacturers do? Keep producing them? No way.
Is it possible to present this device to all (xyz model) vehicles for all manufacturers? Who's gonna abosrb the cost? I assume the market will. BTW the cost mentioned above sounds very substantial currently. I am sure they can bring it down if this device really works and no other better alternatives exist.
And then what about illegal articles on the internet about how to disable the device. On the other hand, I can see the manufacturers using nuts and bolts with special-heads ala-wheel-lock on your expensive wheels so thieves dont steal them. Then I can see people selling the right "key" to unlock them on ebay. LOL.
I mean, I see a cat and mouse game being played for ever between the gov't and the public having conflicting interests. LIke alcohol, smoking, guns and other similar issues.
How do you present this to the market? Meaning, do you also see what I see when this device (like any other new feature) is slowly presented to the market? That is, seeing cars that have it deliberatly NOT selling well at all because people would avoid those vehicles equipped with this device? What will dealers do? Not stock those vehicles. What will manufacturers do? Keep producing them? No way.
Is it possible to present this device to all (xyz model) vehicles for all manufacturers? Who's gonna abosrb the cost? I assume the market will. BTW the cost mentioned above sounds very substantial currently. I am sure they can bring it down if this device really works and no other better alternatives exist.
And then what about illegal articles on the internet about how to disable the device. On the other hand, I can see the manufacturers using nuts and bolts with special-heads ala-wheel-lock on your expensive wheels so thieves dont steal them. Then I can see people selling the right "key" to unlock them on ebay. LOL.
I mean, I see a cat and mouse game being played for ever between the gov't and the public having conflicting interests. LIke alcohol, smoking, guns and other similar issues.
05-31-2005, 10:32 AM
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not DRUNK driving. but if your drinking and trying to stay under the legal limit, then you might as well not drink at all. a .07 is absolutely nothing. i drive tipsy, maybe .15 BAL, tops.
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05-31-2005, 10:44 AM
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Originally Posted by Jaydef03
not DRUNK driving. but if your drinking and trying to stay under the legal limit, then you might as well not drink at all. a .07 is absolutely nothing. i drive tipsy, maybe .15 BAL, tops.
Not to mention what kind of impairment occurs at .15 BAL ... Why risk it?
05-31-2005, 10:53 AM
#10
Originally Posted by Jaydef03
not DRUNK driving. but if your drinking and trying to stay under the legal limit, then you might as well not drink at all. a .07 is absolutely nothing. i drive tipsy, maybe .15 BAL, tops.
05-31-2005, 11:34 AM
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yeah, im just a stupid bastard, to sum things up. maybe .15 is too high of a mark. im just trying to place it at a little over .1 (which is the limit in most states).
05-31-2005, 02:33 PM
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Originally Posted by gavriil
Now let's think reality.
How do you present this to the market? Meaning, do you also see what I see when this device (like any other new feature) is slowly presented to the market? That is, seeing cars that have it deliberatly NOT selling well at all because people would avoid those vehicles equipped with this device? What will dealers do? Not stock those vehicles. What will manufacturers do? Keep producing them? No way.
Is it possible to present this device to all (xyz model) vehicles for all manufacturers? Who's gonna abosrb the cost? I assume the market will. BTW the cost mentioned above sounds very substantial currently. I am sure they can bring it down if this device really works and no other better alternatives exist.
And then what about illegal articles on the internet about how to disable the device. On the other hand, I can see the manufacturers using nuts and bolts with special-heads ala-wheel-lock on your expensive wheels so thieves dont steal them. Then I can see people selling the right "key" to unlock them on ebay. LOL.
I mean, I see a cat and mouse game being played for ever between the gov't and the public having conflicting interests. LIke alcohol, smoking, guns and other similar issues.
How do you present this to the market? Meaning, do you also see what I see when this device (like any other new feature) is slowly presented to the market? That is, seeing cars that have it deliberatly NOT selling well at all because people would avoid those vehicles equipped with this device? What will dealers do? Not stock those vehicles. What will manufacturers do? Keep producing them? No way.
Is it possible to present this device to all (xyz model) vehicles for all manufacturers? Who's gonna abosrb the cost? I assume the market will. BTW the cost mentioned above sounds very substantial currently. I am sure they can bring it down if this device really works and no other better alternatives exist.
And then what about illegal articles on the internet about how to disable the device. On the other hand, I can see the manufacturers using nuts and bolts with special-heads ala-wheel-lock on your expensive wheels so thieves dont steal them. Then I can see people selling the right "key" to unlock them on ebay. LOL.
I mean, I see a cat and mouse game being played for ever between the gov't and the public having conflicting interests. LIke alcohol, smoking, guns and other similar issues.
They could always skip all that and stiffen the punishment for drunk driving to the point were it would be down right crazy to even think about it.
05-31-2005, 03:23 PM
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Originally Posted by heyitsme
They could always skip all that and stiffen the punishment for drunk driving to the point were it would be down right crazy to even think about it.
True but the ultimate would have been to have your car, or any car, start if you're drunk. That way you have your cake and eat it too (as society).
05-31-2005, 03:31 PM
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i know someone out in PA who got so many DWIs that he has a little machine that he has to blow into in order for his car to start. you would figure he should just not be allowed to drive again.
he was the first one in his county to have this machine installed by order of the judge. (west chester, PA) not my Westchester, hehe.
he was the first one in his county to have this machine installed by order of the judge. (west chester, PA) not my Westchester, hehe.
05-31-2005, 07:05 PM
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Originally Posted by Jaydef03
i know someone out in PA who got so many DWIs that he has a little machine that he has to blow into in order for his car to start. you would figure he should just not be allowed to drive again.
he was the first one in his county to have this machine installed by order of the judge. (west chester, PA) not my Westchester, hehe.
he was the first one in his county to have this machine installed by order of the judge. (west chester, PA) not my Westchester, hehe.
And let me guess who paid for that... Yeap the taxpayers.
06-01-2005, 12:28 PM
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Originally Posted by gavriil
Obviously. But why? 
And what or who is IRIX?
And what or who is IRIX?A UNIX operating system. I don't expect anyone but uber geeks to understand it
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