Overview

• Sen. Bernie Moreno labeled the requirement for impairment detection devices in 2026 model year vehicles “insane regulation” at a July 17 confirmation hearing, arguing it would raise car prices.
• Sen. Ben Ray Lujan countered Moreno with a personal account of a near-fatal drunk-driving crash and noted that comparable systems are already deployed in Europe.
• Mothers Against Drunk Driving described Moreno’s remarks as “very disturbing” and said passive sensors could prevent more than 10,000 fatalities annually without collecting personal data.
• Manufacturers developing the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety expect it to be ready by 2025 and say it won’t require drivers to manually blow into breathalyzers.
• NHTSA nominee Jonathan Morrison vowed to make implementing the impairment detection mandate his top priority on day one of leading the agency.