New technology introduced to help prevent impaired driving

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal said about 40{18fa003f91e59da06650ea58ab756635467abbb80a253ef708fe12b10efb8add} of all fatalities on our roads, all crashes, are due to impaired drivers.

HAMDEN, Conn. — Erin and Larry Hermann lost their son Kyle to a drug-impaired driver in 2018.

“As he became trapped in a car with severe damage to the front and quarter, it was engulfed in flames, and the rescue had to be abandoned, and the fire burned uncontrollably for 20 minutes,” Erin explained as she recounted that horrible day.

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Her and her husband’s dreams are often haunted by how their son died in that violent crash, she said.

“As the police chief told us every time we saw him, that our son’s death was totally preventable,” Erin added.

Unfortunately, the Hermann’s aren’t the only ones with stories like this. They’re apart of the organization, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal said about 40{18fa003f91e59da06650ea58ab756635467abbb80a253ef708fe12b10efb8add} of all fatalities on our roads, all crashes, are due to impaired drivers.

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Despite being overcome with grief, the Hermann’s are celebrating the provisions in the recently passed infrastructure bill. It will require all new vehicles to include anti-drunk and impaired driving technology.

“It’s not a breathalyzer, it’s big, not an interlock, it’s all passive. The average driver will not even know it’s there,” Hermann stressed.

New vehicles should have this preventive technology within three years, according to Sen. Blumenthal.

“It will slow, stop or immobilize cars before they cause tragedy and stop the driver from injuring or killing people,” he saod.

Blumenthal said more than 9,400 lives could be saved each year due to this new law.

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Raquel Harrington is the race and culture reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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