A new mandatory driving safety system will “detect drowsiness” and allow breathalysers to be installed in cars in an effort to reduce collisions.
The new EU regulation implemented today requires new cars to have ‘Advanced Driver Assistance Systems’ (ADAS).
The ADAS uses sensors and cameras to detect any possible crash risks such as alcohol intake and drowsiness.
The regulations apply to cars, vans, buses and trucks.
Road Safety Authority (RSA) spokesperson David Martin said the “most interesting” feature is the ‘intelligent speed assistant’.
“It alerts driving when they're speeding, it will help them keep within the speed limit and it issues a warning or alert when the driver exceeds the limit,” he told Newstalk.
“Speeding is a big problem on the roads in Ireland at the moment so that’s going to be a great assistance.”
The ADAS also uses cameras to detect any crash risks ahead of drivers on the road and measures it against the car’s speed.
Mr Martin explained the system will automatically apply the brakes if the driver fails to break in a potential emergency.
Preventing drunk driving
Mr Martin also said the system will address the “prevailing problem of drunk driving” in Ireland.
“It allows the installation of effectively a breathalyser on newly-manufactured vehicles,” he said.
An alcohol interlock interface allows drivers to install an aftermarket breathalyser, which will only allow a vehicle to start if the driver passes an alcohol content test.
The ADAS also includes blind spot information systems using cameras and data from GPS mapping.
The blind spot information also includes warning buses or trucks when a pedestrian or cyclist is at risk.
An event data recorder will also store vehicle data from shortly before and immediately after a crash takes place.
The RSA said the system will “significantly improve road safety in Ireland”.
It was introduced as part of the EU’s ‘Vision Zero’ to reach zero fatalities and serious injuries on European roads by 2050.
There have been 91 crashes in Ireland so far this year, roughly 10 more than the previous year.
Some 97 people have died in collisions, 12 more than the same time in 2023.
