European Union to adopt alcohol meter for all cars by 2024

The European Union agreed on new rules according to which, all cars that will be manufactured and sold in the EU will have alcohol meters, to a measure that essentially aims to limit driving under the influence of alcohol.

The devices will be mandatory in every vehicle that will receive type approval in European Union Member States from 6 July 2022 onwards. The driver is expected to blow on the car breathalyzer before starting. If the driver’s alcohol level is too high, the car will simply not start.

It should be noted that this system will be mandatory from 2024 for all cars sold in the EU, regardless of the date they have received type approval.

How it will work

In particular, when the driver enters the car and before starting the vehicle with the key, the breathalyzer will require the driver to blow into the special mouth of a respirator to determine whether he has used alcohol and whether he is able to drive, according to and with the limits that apply in each country. If the driver is found to have consumed more alcohol than required by law, then the engine will not start and the car will be parked.

Alcohol Interlock comes in the wake of a sad survey that found that although more than 30,000 drivers in Europe have been disqualified for excessive alcohol consumption, more than 30% (around 10,000) continue to drive without a license.

Every year more than 20,000 people are lost on the streets of Europe, with 25% of deaths due to driving under the influence of alcohol. For this reason, even the elimination of alcohol limits is considered and consequently the closing of the “windows” to those who continue to drive having consumed even a minimum. The Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and Romania, however, have already set a zero threshold.

It is worth mentioning that the alcoholometer is already applied in many countries and for certain categories of professionals (eg Sweden). In Belgium, on the other hand, if a driver who has been fined for driving under the influence of alcohol is found to be driving during his sentence – and even without a license because he has been deprived – then, in addition to the very heavy fine, when he regains the right to drive to install the system in the car at his own expense.