Mandatory driver impairment sensors clear a funding hurdle, but are they ready?

A federal law requires new cars to include technology that detects drunk or impaired driving, but regulators still have not cleared it. Last month, the U.S. House rejected a Republican effort to strip the law’s funding. The law is named after five members of a Michigan family who were struck and killed by a drunk driver in 2019 in Kentucky. Supporters say passive detection can stop cars from starting when a driver is impaired. Opponents warn about false positives and call it a “kill switch.” Regulators are still assessing the tech and say they plan to report to Congress soon. Some backers expect the rules won't be finalized until at least 2027.