Automakers are busy developing alcohol detection technology for new cars

Sensors installed in either the door trim or the steering column can pass or fail the driver after he exhales into the sensor. The vehicle provides a pass/fail reading and, based on that result, allows the driver to proceed or not.

Algorithms will be able to detect ethanol in the driver’s breath compared to carbon dioxide. A detector then measures how much infrared radiation of a particular wavelength is captured by the surrounding air. Based on this measurement, the device can calculate the concentration of ethyl alcohol.

Even if Asahi Kasei doesn’t serve as a Tier 1 supplier to global automakers, its technology probably finds its way into vehicles through other components made by more traditional auto parts makers.