Originally Posted by FBinNY

While I've always preferred "people" solutions over "machine" solutions, I've come to the conclusion that ultimately the only way to prevent, or at least reduce, DUI deaths is to focus on the cars themselves. Modern cars already have features that could be put to practical use this way.

The sensors that cars use for current self driving or warning systems already, and/or those devices that insurance companies have us put into our cars already collect the necessary data, detecting overly close following, hard or erratic braking and acceleration, land control, speeding, and/or high G-forces from generally erratic driving. So, that data can be integrated into the cars systems, progressively issuing various levels of driver warnings, and possibly, ultimately shutting the car down.

Some dialog is needed to form a consensus about how much intrusive we're willing to accept, and I count myself among those wanting the bare minimum amount. However, despite hating to be nagged, I'd support a system that only began nagging beyond a reasonably high threshold, and if that didn't produce a correction might issue a warning giving drivers 5 minutes to pull over and shut the car down (before the system did). The nice thing here is that this would also help drivers with other issues such as nodding off from over tiredness. The point would be to reduce dangerous driving without dealing with the causes.

For those like me, who don't want big brother in the car, the system could be put into a passive mode, where it would only warn after extremely erratic driving, with the condition that the owner accept a greater share of liability.

The above is only offered as something to think about, and as I said, while technically possible, we need a national dialog about how far to take it.