COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Government officials are one step closer to making impaired driving prevention technology a safety standard in new cars.

Leaders from Mothers Against Drunk Driving said it could save up to ten thousand lives.

This new technology is still in the early stages. According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, there have been 504 fatal drunk driving crashes so far this year.

Tess Rowland, the National President of MADD, said this is an emotional step.

“We know that we still have a mountain to climb, but all great journeys start with the first step,” Rowland said.

Rowland is a survivor of a drunk driving crash herself. In May 2021, she was hit head on by a drunk driver. She had to have seven surgeries and she said this changed her life immensely. 

“I’m here and able to share my story. But drunk driving is 100% preventable,” Rowland said.

This week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced the start of the rulemaking process for the technology. It is a part of a bipartisan infrastructure bill passed in 2021.

Rowland said NHTSA has been working with automakers on developing the technology for three years now. NHTSA said it will not be a breathalyzer but rather it will monitor the drivers performance. 

“The goal of this technology is to be entirely passive in that the sober driver would never know it’s there and the drunk driver is going to be stopped,” Rowland said. “We know that this technology would be the vaccine and virtually the end as we know it, to drunk driving as it is.”

Columbus police patrol officer Christopher O’Neall works specifically on preventing OVI’s. He said he sees this technology benefiting the city.

“Overall, if it will save somebody’s life I think it’s a great idea,” O’Neall said.“There can be faults to anything. I think they are really going to have to get it right before they do it.”

Rowland said NHTSA is now in a 60 day period to come up with those rules.

“The goal for this technology as well is that this is a safety standard, just like an airbag, just like a seatbelt, and it is going to save lives. And ultimately it should be a standard. It shouldn’t be an extra cost,” Rowland said.

Rowland said NHTSA will meet with the auto makers to perfect the technology, set the safety standards and come up with a rollout process.

She said once that is finished they will begin testing and hope to have the technology installed in new cars by 2026.