In-car biometrics to detect drunk-driving could add to data build up

Advances in car-related technologies including biometric drink-driving detection and libraries of ‘AI models’ to select the best fit for camera-based in-car behavior monitoring could help reduce accidents, but could contribute to the increasing amounts of personal data captured and held by cars. Vehicle repossessions and the sale of second-hand cars could pass on sensitive information and biometrics.

U.S. lawmakers are discussing a bill that includes around a trillion dollars of spending on roads and public transport and that would require car manufacturers to introduce the passive monitoring of drivers to detect whether they may have been drinking.

Drunk-driving is a factor in around a third of all car accidents and causes around 10,000 deaths annually reports Reuters.

The Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety (ACTS) announced that a product with alcohol detection technology would be available for opensource licensing in commercial vehicles from late 2021, reports The Next Web.

The bill could trigger rush to develop new technologies, as simple built-in tests such as a breathalyzer can be fooled by a driver asking someone else to take the test in order to start the engine. Systems which use infrared shone on a driver’s fingertip to measure blood alcohol levels, which are in development, could prove effective if used continuously rather than a one-time test.

Technology to prevent the tricking of breathalyzers and finger sensors could involve constant camera surveillance to monitor driving behavior and eye tracking sensors.

Dashcams are being developed with AI to monitor drivers. One company, Smarter AI, has even developed a library of AI profiles for the hardware depending on use-case.

Cars as personal data hubs

So much personal data is being captured by the technology in cars that the American Recovery Association (ARA) has announced a partnership with Privacy4Cars, a firm that focuses on resolving data privacy issues on vehicles, to offer repossessions agents service for dealing with data privacy, reports SubPrime Auto Finance News.

When agents seize cars, there can be a large amount of personal data from the occupant which could be accessible to subsequent occupant or owner. This could contain biometric data, geolocations and addresses. Not deleting the data also poses a legal risk due to federal and state laws on privacy and data security.

Software services can delete the data before the car is reoccupied.

Article Topics

AI  |  alcohol detection  |  automotive biometrics  |  biometric data  |  biometric monitoring  |  biometrics  |  consumer electronics  |  data collection  |  data protection  |  legislation  |  privacy