Volvo has announced its much-acclaimed Alcolock breathalyser system will be available to UK car buyers by the end of the year.
The system, which requires the driver to blow into a wireless hand-held unit in order for the car to start, is the first of its kind to be offered to motorists .
A sample of the driver's breath is then analysed and the results are transmitted by a radio signal to the car's electronic control system . If the driver is deemed to be over the limit, he/she will not be able to start the car .
The Alcolock breathalyser system, expected to cost between £500 and £600, will initially be available as an option on Volvo's new XC60 before being made available for the rest of the Volvo fleet later next year.
Volvo has stressed that the system is only intended to help drivers make safe decisions and not regulate against drink driving and added that the safety device is being specifically targeted at fleet managers who want to ensure their company car drivers are fully protected.
"We can't hide from the fact that a lot of fatalities involve a drunk driver – and it's not usually the drunk who is killed," said a safety expert for the car manufacturer.
"This is not aimed at those people who are addicted but at responsible driver who may think they are ok to drive when they are not."
