In Response to Michael Thompson...

Could this new law in France open an entirely new market for in-car breathalyzers?

This new law could definitely cause a stir, not only in France but bordering nation's as well; but will it be positive?  I think it is extremely innovative and responsible to think to have breathalyzers inside cars especially with the outrageous amount of intoxicated vehicle deaths each year. This could definitely open many opportunities for marketing, advertizing and hopefully increased sales for car companies all around the world. I think it is a good idea and they should see how the public reacts and then maybe it will spread to other countries around the world.

What would be the most effective way of using this technology to its full potential? Would the car not start unless you used the breathalyzer? And then if you failed the test what would happen? Would it make a phone call for you? These are questions the product companies will have to figure out soon before they put it on the market. Drunk driving is no joke and I would not be opposed to having a breathalyzer in my car but I would definitely find it rather annoying or inconvenient if every time I needed to use my car I would have to blow into the indicator.

Would you buy a car for the purpose of having one of these breathalyzers automatically installed in it? Do you think it is an infringement of choice to make someone breathalyze before getting behind the wheel?

Look, no hands! The driverless future of driving is here

This article on CNN.com asked the question, "Will there be a time in our lives when cars don't crash?" The experts have responded, yes! They are making leaps and bounds on this new technology so that it may be a possibility sooner than we expect. They are working on advances such as vehicle-to-vehicle technology, cars that drive themselves, and cars with the latest and greatest 'high-end' technology. 

Scott Belcher, President and CEO of Intelligent Transportation Society of America, states that, "[vehicle-to-vehicle technology] That's going to be our next major safety advance."  Studies suggest that as many as 81% of "non-impaired" crashes could be avoided through vehicle-to-vehicle communication, which would use a designated part of the radio spectrum that's been set aside by the federal government.

Cars that drive themselves seems like something you would see in an episode of the Jetson's, but in reality, automated cars are close at hand.  "The question is going to be not whether we can do automated vehicles, but how much autonomy we are willing to put up with as a culture. We don't really like to give up control of our vehicles," Belcher stated. There are instances of automated cars already out on the market, a fully automated car although, is going to be dictated by society, not technology. Liability and control issues are going to be the biggest barriers in trying to move forward with this.

What does this all mean? Well, if they make cars that don't crash, then the creation and design of cars will all change.  Right now, we build cars to help you stay safe when you crash, but if you don't crash, do we really need to use all the materials that we currently do? Can you use other materials? I am sure we will soon find out the answer.

How do you feel about a driverless vehicle? Would you be an advocate for this type of technology?