EU looks at compulsory breathalyser fittings for all cars
By Julia Fioretti BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission is looking at making it compulsory for all cars to have common fittings for safety technologies such as breathalysers, but the car industry is resisting a standardised socket which it says would be too costly. The new rules would have a big impact on car parts makers such as Germany's Robert Bosch [ROBG.UL] and Continental, and France's Valeo as they set out the mandatory safety features that every vehicle sold on the European market must have. In a report published last month the Commission listed a number of technologies that were both feasible and cost-beneficial such as automated emergency braking, intelligent speed adaptation, alcohol interlock devices and cameras that replace rear-view mirrors. These could be included in the upcoming review of its "General Safety Regulation" - expected next year - setting out the mandatory safety features cars must have. The cameras would merely be voluntary. Alcohol interlock devices are breathalysers installed on a vehicle's dashboard. Before the engine can be started, the driver must breathe into the device. Several countries in the EU, such as Belgium, Sweden and the Netherlands, require such devices to be fitted to vehicles as part of rehabilitation programmes for convicted drink-drivers. The European Commission estimates that about a quarter of all road deaths in Europe are alcohol-related. However, there is no standardised socket for plugging the devices into vehicles and connecting them to the ignition, making widespread installation a problem. The report said the initial focus had been on developing a "standard interface" for alcohol interlocks so that it would be possible to continue to fit the devices on future vehicles. However, the Association of European Carmakers (ACEA) opposes the idea, preferring instead a system whereby manufacturers provide standardised information to installers on how interlock systems may be fitted onto cars, which it says would be quicker and just as effective. "A standard interface would introduce risks, costs and delays that could be avoided with a standardised installation document," said ACEA spokeswoman Cara McLaughlin. Some of the risks include making vehicle systems more vulnerable to hacking, enabling people to illegally immobilise them and facilitating the mimicking of the devices. But the European Transport Safety Council says merely providing information would do little to bring down the cost of installation and be less effective in preventing drink driving. (Reporting by Julia Fioretti, editing by David Evans)
