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Press: Saab unveils Alcohol Lock-Out Concept
Posted by The Saab Network - http://saabnet.com/tsn/forms/e. (more from The Saab Network - http://saabnet.com/tsn/forms/e.) on Thu, 24 Jun 2004 15:25:49
In Reply to: , Kok Chen, Sat, 17 Dec 1988 12:00:00 

Saab unveils Alcohol Lock-Out Concept to discourage drinking and driving

Last year 29 percent of all drivers killed in car accidents on Swedish roads
and 25 percent of all drivers killed in car accidents in Europe* can be
attributed to drunk driving. To help alleviate this problem, Saab is now
developing a unique, miniature alcohol-sensing device which will assist
drivers in observing drunk-driving laws.

The Saab 'Alcokey' concept includes a small mouthpiece in the car's key fob.
A transponder communicates with the car's electronic control unit, keeping
the engine immobilised if a breath sample from the driver is found to contain
alcohol above the permitted level.

Such a device could be made available as an accessory through Saab dealers
and is currently under evaluation and development in response to increasing
concern about drunk-driving, particularly among companies and public services
in Sweden responsible for operating large fleets of cars.

Tests with a prototype for the Saab 9-5 model are expected to verify its
reliability and accuracy. The concept is intended as a convenient and
inexpensive means of measuring a driver's alcohol level without the need to
install more costly, fixed apparatus inside the car. In commercial production
the 'Alcokey' concept would cost about 250 Euros, or a tenth of the cost of a
fixed system installed inside the car. Saab intends to demonstrate the
concept in conjunction with a safety seminar in Tylosand, Sweden, in August.

The 'Alcokey' concept is an elegant adaptation of existing anti-theft
technology. When the driver presses the 'doors open' button on the car's
remote control fob, the alcohol sensor is also switched on. The driver then
blows into a small mouthpiece at the end of the fob to provide a breath
sample which passes down a small internal tube containing a semi-conductor
sensor the size of a pin-head. The sample is then analysed and a small green
or red light on the fob is illuminated.

If the green light is shown, the key will transmit an 'all clear' signal to
the car's electronic control unit. This is in addition to the usual signal
the key always transmits to switch off the engine immobiliser. However, if a
red light is shown, the 'all clear' signal will not be sent and the engine
will, therefore, continue to be immobilised. The software instructing the
engine immobiliser can be adjusted according to the alcohol limits in
operation where the car is registered.

The current prototype 'Alcokey' is a separate unit, about 10 cm long and 4 cm
wide, additional to a conventional Saab 9-5 combined key and remote control.
In production, further miniaturization would allow both to be contained in a
single, pocket-sized unit.

Mounting concern about drunk-driving in Sweden and many other countries has
prompted Saab to develop the 'Alcokey' concept. Companies operating large car
fleets, with employees driving a great deal on business, are anxious to
demonstrate their social responsibility by having an alcohol-monitoring
device fitted as standard. And in some countries, it may even become
mandatory to fit them.

Saab Automobile's President and CEO, Peter Augustsson, has taken a personal
interest in the 'Alcokey' project. 'Alcohol consumption is increasing in many
countries and this often leads to a greater incidence of drunk-driving,' he
said. 'As a car manufacturer, Saab is keen to do what it can to help prevent
such behaviour. We are an innovative brand and in that tradition the Alcokey
concept is a very practical and efficient solution. It will help those who
want to be sure they should only get behind the wheel when they are fit to
drive.'

The Swedish National Road Administration is supporting Saab's work and its
director, Ingemar Skogo, says he is pleased to see Saab pioneering such a
practical aid to safe driving. 'We all have a duty to discourage
drunk-driving and this is a valuable initiative that other car companies
should consider following,' he said.

* Statistics issued by the Swedish National Road Administration and EU
European Commission.
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