VinAI debuts new DrunkSense the world’s first passive drunk driving detection system which promises to be a potential game changer in vehicle safety if it can make it into a production vehicle.
VinAI (a member of VinGroup) used CES 2025 to show off its DrunkSense system the world’s first passive alcohol testing system.
Drunk driving has been a scourge for drivers in the U.S. ever since the modern automobile was created. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that 37 people are killed every day in drunk driving crashes with that translating into one person dying every 39 minutes. All of these deaths are 100% preventable but finding a solution that can stop drunk drivers from getting behind the wheel and being able to get out into the open road has been a long and challenging ordeal.
VinAI is one of these companies that’s attempting to find a solution for reducing the risk for both the driving public as well as drunk drivers themselves and used CES 2025 to debut their new DrunkSense system which is the world’s first passive drunk driving system and it might help create a stepping stone into tackling this problem if it makes its way into a production vehicle.
DrunkSense does not require a breathalyzer
Unlike other alcohol detection systems, DrunkSense pitches the breathalyzer and instead uses a combination of sensors and cameras to detect drunken driving.
If the “Vin” portion of the company’s name sounds familiar that’s because VinAI is an extension of the massive Vietnamese conglomerate VinGroup the same company that’s also behind EV vehicle maker VinFast. However, VinAI doesn’t build cars, instead, the company focuses on software with the company using CES 2025 to debut DrunkSense which is being bundled into its larger “InteriorSense” suite of features.
Unlike other car-mounted alcohol detection systems which require a formal breathalyzer to be used before the vehicle can be operated, DrunkSense uses sensors that measure a driver’s facial expressions, air alcohol levels, and vehicle control statistics to help detect a drunk driver. VinAI says the system has an 85% accuracy rate which is 8% better than current testing standards. The system also operates continuously and provides warnings to the driver even if the driver’s alcohol level is below the legal limit. Cap Thanh Vuong, Director of Smart Mobility Products at VinAI, explained the importance of DrunkSense: “DrunkSense was developed in the context of increasingly stringent regulations against drunk driving globally, especially in Europe and the US.” He elaborated further stating “Through DrunkSense, an advanced technology with automatic operation capabilities and superior accuracy, we hope to provide a safety solution for automakers in complying with strict standards, contributing to peace of mind for everyone when participating in traffic,”
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Technology faces strong obstacles
The technology promises to be a potential game changer in reducing drunk driving but faces key obstacles in the race for full adoption.
While DrunkSense is shaping up to be a revolutionary technology, it faces several obstacles before it’s implemented into production vehicles. In addition to scrutiny from governments and regulatory agencies, many drivers don’t want technology like this in their vehicles. These drivers view the task of driving as a form of freedom and some consider their vehicle a rolling private space. These folks claim that technology like DrunkSense intrudes on this principle and is a form of automated surveillance.
There’s also historic precedence in play as well, with old seatbelt interlock systems being universally rejected by drivers when the government attempted to make the technology mandatory in new cars back in the 1973. Despite this pushback, VinAI revealed it has already integrated its technology into over 50,000 vehicles globally including those from VinFast, and plans to expand that figure by another 700,000 vehicles over the next few years.
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