As part of its vision for the future of zero fatalities in Volvo cars, the Swedish car manufacturer has announced new technologies which will stop cars being driven when intoxicated.

Volvo has already made plans to limit the speed of all new Volvos over the next few years and has now promised measures will be taken via in-car camera and other sensors which could limit a car’s speed, alert the Volvo On Call assistance service or even slow down and park the car.

Recent figures from the United States show that 30 per cent of all traffic fatalities in 2017 involved intoxicated drivers.

“When it comes to safety, our aim is to avoid accidents altogether rather than limit the impact when an accident is imminent and unavoidable,” says Henrik Green, Senior Vice President, Research & Development at Volvo Cars. “In this case, cameras will monitor for behaviour that may lead to serious injury or death.”

Cameras within the Volvo will monitor certain behaviours from drivers, such as a lack of steering input, drivers who have closed their eyes and the more obvious sign of a car weaving across lanes or driving slowly.

With the car’s of the future expected to make more and more decisions for drivers it is only right that the technology can be used to ensure road safety for everyone.

“There are many accidents that occur as a result of intoxicated drivers,” says Trent Victor, Professor of Driver Behaviour at Volvo Cars. “Some people still believe that they can drive after having had a drink, and that this will not affect their capabilities. We want to ensure that people are not put in danger as a result of intoxication.”

The technology is expected to be introduced into Volvo’s production models within the next five years according to today’s announcement.

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