Volvo has asked for special exemption from Sweden's tough drink-driving laws so that its test drivers can have a glass too many to test new safety systems which warn if a driver is not reacting to danger.
Volvo, whose success rests on its reputation for building safety-conscious family cars, will let its drunk drivers take the wheel only on its own test tracks near Gothenburg if it gets permission from the Swedish government.
"It's a matter of developing technical systems to warn if the driver isn't reacting properly," says Christer Gustafsson, spokesman for the Ford-owned marque.
"That means if the driver is tired, sick, drunk or under the influence of other drugs. We want to do this in a controlled environment in Sweden."
The new safety system is still at the development stage and Gustafsson could not give more details about how it works. "It's all about preventing accidents," he says.
Sweden has one of the best road-safety records in the world, thanks partly to drink-driving laws which are among the toughest in Europe.
The laws apply to private and public roads. Stockholm traffic police say the most drivers could drink without risking a fine is one beer, while drivers caught well over the limit can be sent to prison.