Georgina Avilez, center, and Shymari Sanchez-Willis, right, presented Congressman Mike Garcia with the Mothers Against Drunk Driving Legislative Hero Award on Tuesday, June 18, 2024. Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Santa Clarita, was presented the Mothers Against Drunk Driving Legislative Hero Award on Tuesday, June 18, for his efforts to clear the air about confusion over impaired driving prevention technology.
When misinformation grew that claimed the government could use the impaired driving prevention technology to turn off a motorist’s car, Garcia cleared the air and explained that the technology won’t let government turn off your car. By November 15, the U.S. Department of Transportation is required to complete its work on setting a standard for impaired driving prevention technology. The rulemaking process is expected to produce a final safety standard that applies to technology in all new cars aimed at impaired drivers.
According to MADD, in two nationwide polls conducted by Ipsos for MADD, 9 out of 10 Americans said it is a good idea, or a very good idea, to integrate technology into a car’s electronics to prevent impaired driving. And the Journal of the American Medical Association published a study that found nearly two-thirds of respondents either agreed or strongly agreed with the mandate for vehicle impairment prevention technology on all new vehicles.