No Kill Switches in Cars Act

This bill would cancel a federal plan to make carmakers include “advanced drunk and impaired driving prevention technology” in many new passenger vehicles. In short, it repeals the part of the infrastructure law that told the Department of Transportation to write those rules.

The technology in question is a passive system that either watches how someone is driving to spot impairment, or can tell if a driver’s blood alcohol level is 0.08% or higher. If it thinks the driver may be drunk or impaired, it would prevent or limit the car from operating. Right now, there is no federal safety rule that requires this technology; this bill would remove the requirement to create one. The measure is called the “No Kill Switches in Cars Act.”

Key points:

• Who is affected: Automakers and drivers of passenger vehicles.
• What changes: Repeals the order to set a national safety rule for advanced drunk/impaired driving prevention tech, so no federal mandate would be created .
• What the tech does: Monitors driving or detects 0.08% blood alcohol, and can stop or limit the car if impairment is suspected.