Congress mandates new car technology to stop drunken driving

Congress mandates new car technology to stop drunken driving

FILE - In this Jan. 11, 2018, file photo, vehicles pass the Queensboro Bridge in New York. New York state would become the 13th state to permit driver's licenses for immigrants who entered the country illegally under legislation passed the state Assembly on Wednesday, June 12, 2019. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress has created a new requirement for automakers: Find a high-tech way to keep drunken people from driving cars. It’s one of the mandates along with a burst of new spending aimed at improving auto safety in the $1 trillion infrastructure package that President Joe Biden is expected to sign soon. Under the legislation, monitoring systems to stop intoxicated drivers would roll out in all new vehicles as early as 2026, after the Transportation Department assesses the best form of technology to install in millions of vehicles.

Photo: FILE – In this Jan. 11, 2018, file photo, vehicles pass the Queensboro Bridge in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File)