New Law Mandates Drunk Driving Prevention Tech in 10,000 New Cars Annually Starting in 2025

The “DRIVE to HALT Drunk Driving Act” is exactly what it sounds like: a push to get impairment-prevention technology into new cars, fast. This bill mandates that large vehicle manufacturers—the companies selling more than 250,000 cars a year in the U.S.—must start equipping a minimum number of their new passenger vehicles with tech designed to stop impaired driving. Starting 180 days after the law passes, these manufacturers must produce at least 10,000 vehicles annually that meet the technical specifications of the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety (DADSS), and another 10,000 that meet specific safety standards from the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP).

The Tech Mandate: What’s Under the Hood?

This isn’t about just installing an ignition interlock that requires a breathalyzer tube. The bill points to two specific, cutting-edge standards. The DADSS standard often involves passive systems that can detect alcohol in a driver’s breath or through skin contact, without requiring them to actively blow into a device. The Euro NCAP standard (sections 3.5.1 through 3.5.4.4) focuses on driver monitoring systems that check for signs of impairment or distraction. Essentially, the bill forces the largest automakers to stop talking about this safety tech and start deploying it in real cars right now, even if only in a small quota to start.

Who Pays for the Safety Upgrade?

This new requirement affects any company that sold over a quarter-million vehicles in the U.S. last year. They now have to invest in and integrate this new technology across a portion of their production line. While the initial quota of 20,000 vehicles total (10k DADSS, 10k Euro NCAP) is a tiny fraction of their overall sales, it establishes a clear mandate. For you, the consumer, this means two things: First, a safer driving environment as this tech rolls out. Second, since manufacturers usually pass compliance costs along, you might see a slight increase in the sticker price of new cars as these advanced systems become standard features.

The Sunset Clause and the Regulatory Hand-Off

One interesting detail is the “sunset provision.” This entire requirement is temporary. It expires as soon as the Department of Transportation issues the final rule required by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). That IIJA mandate requires the DOT to establish a permanent motor vehicle safety standard for impaired driving prevention technology. Think of the DRIVE Act as a bridge—it forces immediate action and deployment while the federal government finishes the long process of writing the permanent rule. Once the permanent rule is in place, this temporary quota system disappears.

Keeping the Standards Current

Since technology moves fast, the bill includes a mechanism to keep the safety standards updated. If the European NCAP revises its standards for driver monitoring, those revisions automatically become the U.S. standard 120 days later. However, the Secretary of Transportation has the power to veto that automatic update if they determine the new European standard doesn’t meet U.S. motor vehicle safety needs. This gives the DOT flexibility to ensure that we’re adopting the best safety measures globally, but also prevents us from automatically adopting a standard that might be weaker or unsuitable for U.S. roads.

The Bottom Line

This bill is a strong, concrete step toward reducing drunk driving fatalities by forcing the introduction of passive safety technology into the mainstream market. It uses specific, existing technical standards and sets a clear, immediate production requirement for the biggest players. While it might add a small cost to new vehicles, the primary impact is a significant boost to road safety, making sure that life-saving technology doesn't sit on a shelf waiting for a permanent rule that could still be years away.