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Bipartisan Senate legislation includes lifesaving automotive technology provisions
New agreement would require Driver Monitoring Systems to stop distracted and drunk driving
Canberra, Australia - Today the U.S. Senate passed a bipartisan infrastructure agreement which contains key provisions to improve automotive safety. Specifically, the legislation includes the SAFE Act, introduced by Senators Markey, Blumenthal, and Klobuchar, which would require Driver Monitoring Systems (DMS) to detect distracted driving.
In addition, the legislation includes the RIDE Act, which was sponsored by Senators Rick Scott and Ben Ray Lujan which would require new cars to use advanced drunk driving technology to stop impaired driving
"DMS is on the road today in systems like General Motor's Super Cruise™ and can tell whether the driver is engaged in the driving task or is distracted," said Seeing Machines CEO Paul McGlone. "If the driver is distracted, driver monitoring systems have the ability to warn the driver and save lives."
The safety provisions would require the National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA) to carefully research DMS systems and begin the rulemaking process to regulate this technology.
This legislation comes at a critical time in the United States. Early estimates from NHTSA point to a 9% increase in traffic deaths in 2020. In 2019, 3,142 people were killed due to distracted driving, 10,142 people died by alcohol impaired driving, and 697 people were killed by drowsy driving. DMS has the potential to reduce or eliminate all of these crashes.
"Seeing Machines is pleased to see this progress on automotive safety," said McGlone. "We look forward to continuing to work with the U.S. Congress and NHTSA to ensure these technologies are available to all drivers and save the maximum number of lives."
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