Toyota and Nissan Make Drinking and Driving a Little Harder (It's Already Pretty Hard) September 16, 2006

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Both Toyota and Nissan are trying to come up with a technology in their cars to make drinking and driving impossible. Nissan is thinking of requiring a really long PIN for drivers to enter before their car starts, and Toyota is thinking of placing breathalyzers somewhere in the cabin. Both are interesting, but may not be fool proof, not to mention drunk proof.

The effort follows a rash of media coverage in the land of the rising sun following a number of high-profile drunk-driving incidents, including one where an inebriated motorist knocked a car off a bridge, killing three children.

– Jason Chen

Japanese automakers developing cars that refuse drunk drivers [Mainichi via Hold the Sake! Japanese Automakers Working On Booze Lockouts]