Development of a Breathalyzer-enabled Ignition System for Reduction of Road Fatalities in the Caribbean

Marcus Lloyde George*, Nicholas Singh**, Nora Innocent-George***
*-*** Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of the West Indies,St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago.
Periodicity:April - June'2020
DOI : https://doi.org/10.26634/jee.13.4.17249

Abstract

A modern motor vehicle is a complex piece of equipment utilized by millions worldwide for transportation between two or more locations. Despite the many advantages of motor vehicles it is the primary source of road fatalities. Operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated is one of the leading causes of vehicular road accidents worldwide. Many technologies, and policies for their use have been developed and placed into practice for minimization of road fatalities caused by driving while intoxicated, however none is without drawbacks. There is need for a novel breathalyser-enabled approach with advantages addressing the drawbacks of the technologies that exist. This paper seeks to explore the development of a FPGA-based breathalyser ignition system to monitor a driver’s alcohol level and ensure that an intoxicated person does not handle the vehicle. To achieve this, an air alcohol sensor was used to capture the driver’s breath before and during vehicular operation. In an effort to make the system more fool-proof, additional sensors incorporated into the alcohol sensor would provide feedback for scenarios where the existing sensor were damaged or being obstructed. From simulation and on-board testing, the system was able to measure and respond to sensor data as expected. However, the system did not account for the vehicle windows being down, and hence this project can be upgraded in the future to improve accuracy and reliability in those scenarios.

Keywords

FPGAs in Automotive, Breathalyzer Systems, Breathalyzer-Enabled Ignition, Vehicle Ignition Systems, Intelligent Ignition Systems, Reduction of Vehicular Accidents

How to Cite this Article?

George, M. L., Singh, N., and Innocent-George, N. (2020). Development of a Breathalyzer-enabled Ignition System for Reduction of Road Fatalities in the Caribbean. i-manager's Journal on Electrical Engineering, 13(4), 1-23. https://doi.org/10.26634/jee.13.4.17249

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