A local lawmaker is calling for the implementation of new technology aimed at stopping drunken drivers before they turn on the ignition.

Rep. Nita Lowey says she's spearheading a bill and asking the federal government for $10 million to fund research on the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety, or DADSS.

The system would potentially be installed in new cars. It uses breath and touch sensors to stop an impaired driver's car from moving.

Carole Sears, president of the Westchester Chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, says the technology comes too late to save many, like her husband Andy, who killed by a drunken driver in 1992. But Sears says the technology could save countless others.

The DADSS system is still in its research phase, but officials say the technology could be available in most vehicles in the U.S. within five to eight years.

Officials say 17 carmakers have signed up to participate so far.