VOA慢速英语--美国国会要求使用新技术来阻止酒后驾驶

US Congress Requires New Technology to Stop Drunken Driving

The United States Congress has created a new requirement for carmakers: they must find a way from keeping drunk people from driving cars.

It is just one of the rules included in the large increase of new spending aimed at improving car safety. Funding for the requirement is included in the $1-trillion infrastructure¹ bill that President Joe Biden is expected to sign into law.

The mandate² requires carmakers to have systems built into new cars as early as 2026 that help stop drunk drivers.

In total, about $17 billion is set to be given to road safety programs. It is the biggest increase in such funding in many years, says the Eno Center for Transportation. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says the money means more bike paths and greener spaces could be built into busy roads.

"It's monumental," said Alex Otte. She is president of the organization Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Otte added that the mandate would remove the "number-one killer³ on America's roads."

Last month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that an estimated 20,160 people died in car crashes in the first half of 2021. That is the highest first-half total since 2006. The agency has said that fast driving, impaired⁴ driving and not wearing seatbelts are reasons for the increase.

Each year, around 10,000 people in the United States are killed because of alcohol-related car crashes. That is almost 30 percent of all traffic deaths, the NHTSA says.

Currently, some people who were charged with drunken driving in the past must use a breathalyzer device in order to start their car. A breathalyzer measures blood alcohol level. The device can turn off a car if the driver's blood alcohol level is too high.

The bill does not name a kind of technology, only that it must "identify whether that driver may be impaired."

Sam Abuelsamid is with Guidehouse Insights, a market research company. He said the most likely system to prevent drunken driving is infrared⁶ cameras that look for driver behavior. The cameras make sure a driver is watching the road, and they look for signs of sleepiness or impairment. Such technology is already being used by some carmakers, including General Motors, Nissan and BMW.

If the system sees any signs, the car will warn the driver. If the behavior continues, the car will turn on warning lights, slow down and move to the side of the road.

The bill also requires carmakers to create back-seat reminders⁷ to tell parents if a child is left in the back seat. Since 1990, about 1,000 children have died from heat illness after being left in the car.

Congress has also ordered the NHTSA to make new safety requirements for cars. The new rules are meant to help avoid deaths from collapsing⁸ front seats and require automatic emergency brakes. Many carmakers, however, have already made those changes in their latest models.

Words in This Story

fund — n. an amount of money that is used for a special purpose

infrastructure — n. the basic equipment and structures (such as roads and bridges) that are needed for a country, region, or organization to function properly

bicycle — n. a 2-wheeled vehicle that a person rides by pushing on foot pedals

mandate — n. an official order to do something

drunk — adj. having drunk so much alcohol that normal actions (such as talking, thinking, and moving) become difficult to do

monumental — adj. very important

impair⁵ — v. to make (something) weaker or worse

infrared — adj. producing or using rays of light that cannot be seen and that are longer than rays that produce red light

1 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

2 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

3 killer   

n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者

参考例句：

• Heart attacks have become Britain's No.1 killer disease.心脏病已成为英国的头号致命疾病。
• The bulk of the evidence points to him as her killer.大量证据证明是他杀死她的。

4 impaired   

adj.受损的；出毛病的；有（身体或智力）缺陷的v.损害，削弱( impair的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Much reading has impaired his vision. 大量读书损害了他的视力。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• His hearing is somewhat impaired. 他的听觉已受到一定程度的损害。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 impair   

v.损害，损伤；削弱，减少

参考例句：

• Loud noise can impair your hearing.巨大的噪音有损听觉。
• It can not impair the intellectual vigor of the young.这不能磨灭青年人思想活力。

6 infrared   

adj./n.红外线(的)

参考例句：

• Infrared is widely used in industry and medical science.红外线广泛应用于工业和医学科学。
• Infrared radiation has wavelengths longer than those of visible light.红外辐射的波长比可见光的波长长。

7 reminders   

n.令人回忆起…的东西( reminder的名词复数 )；提醒…的东西；（告知该做某事的）通知单；提示信

参考例句：

• The film evokes chilling reminders of the war. 这部电影使人们回忆起战争的可怕场景。
• The strike has delayed the mailing of tax reminders. 罢工耽搁了催税单的投寄。

8 collapsing   

压扁[平]，毁坏，断裂

参考例句：

• Rescuers used props to stop the roof of the tunnel collapsing. 救援人员用支柱防止隧道顶塌陷。
• The rocks were folded by collapsing into the center of the trough. 岩石由于坍陷进入凹槽的中心而发生褶皱。