ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — New regulations mean technology to prevent drunk driving crashes will soon be coming to new cars in the U.S.

In 2021, the HALT Drunk Driving Act passed, setting Nov. 15, 2024, as a final date for the U.S. Department of Transportation to complete a rulemaking process and issue a final safety standard for anti-drunk driving technology on all new cars. Now, automakers have 2-3 years to implement that standard into new cars.

According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, this technology may save nearly 10,000 lives each year.

Right now, there are other anti-drunk driving technologies but that only applies to those convicted of DWI. This new technology, MADD believes, will help get to the root of the problem.

“It’s not a breathalyzer. You’re not going to have to get into your car and blow into a device. It’s a passive type of technology,” said Katrina Latka, the executive director of MADD in New Mexico. “Any operator of the vehicle just needs to get in the vehicle and the vehicle then can detect impairment.”

Technology like this can help in times like the holidays. According to MADD, 35% of fatal crashes nationwide on Thanksgiving are from impaired drivers.

MADD encourages you to plan ahead if you plan to drink on Thanksgiving – know how you’re getting home and know who your designated driver is ahead of time.