Some students from Nanjing University of Finance & Economics have invented a device which can be installed in a car to prevent the driver from operating the vehicle while intoxicated, the China News Service reported.
The device, nicknamed "Stop Prompted by Drunk", resembles a round box the same size as the steering wheel spindle. When correctly installed inside the steering wheel spindle, its switching network is linked to the ignition system of the car. When the driver gets into the car, the alcohol sensor inside the device will begin to detect the alcohol concentration in the air. If it is above the legal limit, the switching network will disconnect the ignition system automatically, meaning that the car will not start.
"Compared with other such devices, this "Stop Prompted by Drunk" has some advantages. It can detect alcohol intoxication automatically and continuously; and it's healthier. Best of all, the cost is quite low. Each device costs just 200 Yuan, or less than 30 US dollars," introduced Wang Changqian, a member of the invention team.
The idea of inventing such a device came after a bloody Nanjing road accident involving a drunk driver last June, which resulted in 5 dead and 4 injured. Wang Changqian and some other students from Nanjing University of Finance & Economics began to wonder if they could invent a device to stop intoxicated drivers from using their cars and prevent such a bloody accident from happening again in the future.
