Government speeds research on various automotive safety systems

Associated Press

WASHINGTON

The government is speeding up research on safety systems that automatically prevent drivers from operating their cars if they are drunk or aren’t properly buckled in.

Officials also said Thursday that they expect to decide by year’s end how to encourage automakers to make some special safety systems already in certain high-end vehicles available in more cars. Those systems warn drivers before a collision that they are about to run into another vehicle and can brake automatically to avoid a crash or make it less severe.

The innovations — collision avoidance, seat belt interlocks and driver alcohol detection systems — hold the potential of dramatically reducing traffic fatalities, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.