Sobriety Checks At The Speed Of Light

Imagine a world in which all vehicles will determine if their operators are sober enough to drive.  A world where it will be very hard to hide any level of inebriation from your teacher, boss, or parent.  You will not be able hide your BAC in the world of the future, where Noninvasive Intoxication Measurement Systems developed by companies like  Tru Touch Technologies become common place.  These devices use only light (near-infrared spectroscopy) to measure tissue alcohol concentration and simultaneously verify the user’s identity.  No disposables or bodily fluids are involved.  Table top versions of  the technology are ready for sale and are being marketed to medical, law enforcement, education, industrial, and transportation organizations.

The next generationof these devices will be smaller, cheaper,  and are coming sooner than you think.  TruTouch has recently partnered with Takata, a Japanese maker of seatbelts and other automotive safety hardware with the goal of having a system available that fits on the head of an auto’s start switch/button, gives results in a fraction of a second, and at a cost of under $200.  They expect these systems to be available in the next eight to ten years.

So how far in the future will it be before we have this kind of application on our iPhones?  My guess is sooner than the Intoxicated Driver Alert System becomes mandantory in cars just like seatbelts are today.