Volvo will become the first manufacturer to launch a fully integrated in-car alcolock system called Alcoguard, which will be unveiled at the Frankfurt Motorshow on 11 September, 2007.

According to Volvo, Alcoguard is a user-friendly and reliable safety device. Using this device, the driver of the vehicle just has to blow into a wireless hand-held unit, which will then analyze the breath for alcohol. If the blood-alcohol limit is exceeded, the engine simply will not start, it said. The Alcoguard will hit showrooms as an accessory which can be integrated into the Volvo models such as S80, V70, and XC70.

The device is expected to be available by early 2008 and will extend to other models in the Volvo range later in the year. Volvo estimates global sales of 2,000 units a year, a report pointed out.

The need for such a device has come to be seen as a necessity with statistics revealing that one in three traffic fatalities in Europe is alcohol related and around 3,000 people in the UK are killed or seriously injured each year in drink-drive collisions.

Detailing the technology involved, a report added that the Alcoguard employs the same fuel-cell technology used by the majority of police forces in Europe. Before the car can be started, the driver has to blow into the wireless hand-held unit which is stored and charged behind the centre console.

The driver’s breath is then analyzed and the results are transmitted via radio signal to the car’s electronic control system. The car’s information unit
displays messages to help the driver use the device to indicate if the test was approved or if the driver needs to exhale longer into the hand-held unit.
The advanced sensors ensure that it is not possible to use external air sources such as a pump to cheat the system.

A drunken driver won’t be able to hit the road if the blood-alcohol limit of 20mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood is exceeded. If the limit is exceeded, a red LED will appear and the engine will not start. The breathalyzer results are stored for 30 minutes after the engine has been turned off, so if the driver stops for a short while they do not need to repeat the procedure, the report added.

The results of the breathalyzer test are also shown via two other LEDs, Green and Yellow. Green means 0 – 10mg alcohol per 100ml of blood and the car engine will start, while yellow signals 10mg – 20mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood and the car will start but the driver is advised not to drive.

The wireless hand-held unit is expected to always give an accurate measurement of blood-alcohol level. Service and battery replacement in the
hand-held unit are carried out together with the car’s regular servicing, said Volvo.

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