Toyota Booze Control

Think you can drink and drive? Toyota is working on a system of sensors that will automatically shut down a car's engine if it thinks the driver has had too much to drink. From Guardian:

Cars will use sensors on the steering wheel to measure the alcohol level in the driver's sweat, the Asahi Shimbun newspaper reported. If it is too high the car will not start.

The Japanese carmaker will introduce the gadget as an optional extra at the end of 2009 but hopes to install it in all models once the price has come down, the newspaper said.

The system differs from other technological attempts to stamp out drink-driving because it removes the initiative from the driver.

Even if a determined driver gets past the first obstacle by, say, wearing gloves, he could still find himself walking home: Toyota's device will slow the car to a halt if the sensors detect erratic steering or if a camera mounted on the dashboard sees that the driver's pupils are dilated - a sign of being over the limit.