Capito urges DOT to implement impaired driving rulemaking

In an effort to improve roadway safety, U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) called on the U.S. Department of Transportation to take action on a rulemaking concerning the implementation of advanced impaired driving technology in new cars.

Sen. Capito joined U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) in writing a March 28 letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg urging him to move forward with the rulemaking process to implement the Reduced Impaired Driving for Everyone (RIDE) Act as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which was signed into law in 2021.

The RIDE Act requires that impaired driving technologies be in all new cars after 2026.

“This rulemaking comes at a critical time as America faces a safety crisis on our roadways,” the senators wrote. “The cars on roadways across America are safer today than ever before due to the lifesaving technology NHTSA [National Highway Traffic Safety Administration] already requires, from seatbelts to airbags—and this rulemaking is the next step. We cannot let this opportunity go by without taking meaningful steps forward to save lives,” the letter said. 

Sens. Capito and her colleague urged the DOT to work closely with industry partners who are developing research and technology to ensure the agency has as much information as possible to develop a rule that saves as many lives as possible. 

“We remain committed to supporting the Department’s work to put an end to impaired driving deaths, and look forward to working together to put impaired driving technology in every new car after 2026,” the letter concluded.