New Mexico has one of the highest rates of DWI as well as the highest rates of death from DWI in the nation. However, startup company DermaTEC thinks it may have a way of reducing the number of drunk drivers on the road through the development of a product called ONUSBlue. Individuals put the patch on their arms, and it will change colors as they consume alcohol.
The product will sense through a person’s sweat how much alcohol he or she has consumed. If the patch changes color, it may indicate that an individual is not sober enough to drive. While the company does not tell people to completely abstain from drinking, it says that the goal should be to drink responsibly. This may mean hiring an Uber driver or finding another person who is sober enough to provide transportation.
DermaTEC has received grants to develop their technology, but the company is still working on mass producing the product. It hopes to partner with bars and restaurants to create branded patches that may help determine if an individual is still sober enough to drive home from that establishment. The company also hopes to sell them to individual consumers in an effort to keep drunk drivers off the road.
An individual who is charged with a DWI may face a variety of penalties. They may include a license suspension, jail time or a fine. It is also possible for someone charged with DWI to lose his or her job or make it harder to be accepted to a college. However, an attorney may be able to create a defense to the charge and possibly win an acquittal for the driver. If that occurs, it may be possible to have the charges expunged from his or her record.
