{"id":678365,"date":"2026-05-18T22:23:12","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T22:23:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/678365\/"},"modified":"2026-05-18T22:23:12","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T22:23:12","slug":"advocates-urge-ottawa-to-make-anti-impaired-driving-technology-mandatory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/678365\/","title":{"rendered":"Advocates urge Ottawa to make anti-impaired driving technology mandatory"},"content":{"rendered":"

The non-profit organization Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is ramping up its pressure on the federal government to make anti-impaired driving technology mandatory in all new cars.<\/p>\n

Tanya Hansen Pratt, MADD\u2019s national president, says that kind of technology can help save the lives of drivers and others alike.<\/p>\n

She says that new technology for vehicle safety had to prove itself in past but eventually was accepted by the majority.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you think back to when seat belts came in, there were, of course, some people who were against it, but the majority of people were pretty happy to say, \u2018yeah, let\u2019s protect ourselves.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

To reach that level of acceptance within society, Pratt adds that it is important that the technology is not intrusive.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are technologies available out there where you can actually check the driver\u2019s blood alcohol concentration either through touch or through their breath, and it\u2019s done completely passively.\u201d<\/p>\n

MADD\u2019s push is in response to a law passed by the United States requiring new passenger vehicles to be equipped with the technology.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis came from the passing of the HALT Act in the United States,\u201d Pratt said in an interview with 1130 NewsRadio.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis passed in 2021, requiring all new vehicles in the United States to have anti-impaired driving technology installed in new vehicles originally by 2026, but that\u2019s been extended to 2030. All we are asking for is the safety of Canadians on our roads.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite MADD\u2019s hope that the law would be implemented this year, Pratt says that the important part is that manufacturers and politicians are on the same side on this issue and get it right.<\/p>\n

U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)\u00a0is expected to implement the law next year, giving car makers three years to install the technology in their vehicles.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have cameras and mirrors that can track a driver\u2019s eye movements to see if they\u2019re looking at the road. A lot of people in newer vehicles have heard that warning that says Hey, look up, keep your eyes on the road\u2019. Or we have braking assist or anti-collision technologies,\u201d Pratt explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can take advantage of that because we know that impaired drivers have difficulty with either speed or staying in their lane or remaining alert.\u201d<\/p>\n

The HALT Act, abbreviated for Honouring Abbas Family Legacy to Terminate Drunk Driving Act, was part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and signed into law by President Biden.<\/p>\n

The law was contested by a Republican member of the House of Representatives in January this year, but the repeal was voted down in a bipartisan vote of 164 to 268.<\/p>\n

\u2013 With files from Dean Recksiedler.<\/p>\n

\t\tKeep it Factual<\/p>\n

Add CityNews Vancouver as a trusted source on Google to see more local stories from us.<\/p>\n

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