WASHINGTON — IN the near future, cars will communicate with one another on the road, partly or entirely drive themselves and be packed with more entertainment options than most computers.

But could technology also offer a solution for a scourge that kills nearly 10,000 Americans each year — drunken driving?

Regulators and the auto industry hope the answer is yes, and recently the Department of Transportation unveiled the latest steps toward developing anti-drunken-driving technology that would allow a car to detect drivers impaired by alcohol and stop them from turning on the car.

Auto safety officials demonstrated a new test vehicle equipped with special touch pads that can instantly measure whether a driver has been drinking. The technology, which could exist on the steering wheel or the starter button of keyless ignitions, could become a reality for consumers as soon as the end of the decade.