Steering Wheel Checks Alcohol Consumption

karvind writes "According to washingtonpost, Inventor Dennis Bellehumeur has made a $600 sensor that can be installed in a steering wheel or in gloves and will test a driver's skin to determine alcohol consumption. Bellehumeur, a real estate agent and deli owner in Wilton Manors, spent 12 years developing his sensor after his then-teenage son crashed into a utility pole while driving drunk and suffered minor brain damage. He received a patent this month and the sensor should complete testing this year."

Re:What if....

[a16]

I would hope that as a bartender you are aware of the concept of washing your hands :)

Swab action.

[Niban]

I can't be the only person who immediately contemplated swabbing their friends steering wheels with rubbing alcohol.

No driving for you. ONE YEAR!

Re: Brilliant!

[Rosco P. Coltrane]

$600 per car is not a lot to spend to ensure road safety.

Depends: on a $300 Yugo, it might not be such a good idea...

Then again, with a Yugo, you're very safe in the first place, since the bus driver is never drunk.

Better Solution...

[Anonymous Coward]

Why not have a camera that points to the passenger seat that sends the image it sees to a computer? The image would then be analyzed using a sophisticated algorithm which determines how ugly the chick you picked up at the bar is. If she is far uglier than most of the women you pick up, the car automatically knows that you are way to drunk to drive and refuses to start.

Re:One word.

[Ed Thomson]

one word... Gloves

You should have posted anonymously, now you are bound to be hunted down and jailed for 20+ years for violation of the DMCA and being un-american.

Brilliant..

[unorthod0x]

So, in order to circumvent:

Steering wheel version: Wear some gloves
Glove version: Don't wear gloves

Re:you must be fun at parties!

[Anonymous Coward]

Like hell these'll be "standard, universal, very reliable, available in most places".

Well, ok, maybe they will be. Just like your catalytic converter. Did you know that its illegal for you to personally change your catalytic convertor or any other part of your engine that deals with exhaust quality control? EPA says it has to be done by a trained and certified professional. Not that anyone enforces the regulations.

Anyway, that rule just keeps idiots who don't know what they're doing from spewing foul shit into the air. Imagine the regulations on something that'll keep drunkards off the roads. They'll want it installed by trained people under the supervision of a police officer and signed off in triplicate with a notary present, just to make sure its plugged in right and won't let you start the car drunk. They'll probably even make you buy a few packs of beer for the cop, so he can test it.

Re:420 ?

[Headcase88]

It's pretty tricky to die driving 10 kph :)

Re:Rational Thought

[grub]

The way I pour/buy wine, one bottle gives you three glasses (250ml/glass).

May I come over for dinner?

The gloves sense it and provide directions...

[TheLittleJetson]

...and groovy tunes.