U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y is proposing a bill to give the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration $60 million to spend over five years to see IF they can develop an alcohol-detecting ignition lock that is both reliable and affordable. This is not what your tax dollars need to be doing.

Yes, absolutely, a device that will prevent drunk driving is a marvelous idea and could help save lives. That is not my problem with this proposal. My problem is with the government getting into R&D - R&D that is currently being done by all the major car manufactures already! I blogged about this a few months:

"Currently MADD (you know who they are) is pushing for federal legislation to require ignition interlock devices to be  installed in cars whose drivers have been convicted of a single DUI. These gadgets prevent a car from being started if the  driver (or whomever) blows too high a blood alcohol content breath into the testing device. What MADD really wants is for all  cars to come already equipped with similar devices, straight from the car lots. Nissan, in fact, is testing several systems  that detect drinking in other ways including tiny cameras that observe facial expressions, shifter sensors that check blood  alcohol content, and even onboard computers that judge steering." See How Far Will It Go?

Sounds to me like the car manufactures have this already under control, never mind the outrageous breech  of privacy these devices will bring. Do you suppose that MADD is bank rolling Charles Schumer? Do we really need to be spending any more on this? How could a senator afford to vote "no" on this? Not funding something that will prevent DUI accidents will look terrible on any senator's record. Even if they are completely right to do so.