Ignition Interlock Devices Are Mandated More Frequently

Approximately 11,000 people in the U.S. die each year as a
result of drunk driving accidents. All across the country
states are cracking down on drunk drivers. Eleven states
require that a mandatory

ignition interlock
device
be installed on the vehicle of any person convicted of
driving while intoxicated, even first-time offenders. The
states who currently have such laws in place are: Alaska,
Arizona, Arkansas, Illinois, Louisiana, Nebraska, New Mexico,
New York, Oregon Utah, and Washington. More states are
currently considering such legislation, including Texas, which,
after California, has reported the highest amount of alcohol
related fatalities. In California, first time offenders may be
forced to get an

ignition device
if their blood alcohol content is above 0.15 percent - or
double the legal limit.

Ignition interlock devices are installed on the dashboard of
a convicted drunk driver. The driver must breathe into the
device in order to start the car and the blood alcohol level
must usually be between 0.02 percent and 0.04 percent. The
driver must also periodically breathe into the device while
driving, to ensure that another person doesn't breathe into the
device to start the car and then let the intoxicated person
drive away. If the driver fails to provide a sober breath
sample, a car alarm will go off and will not stop until the car
is turned off or a clean breath sample is recorded. Ignition
interlock devices must be installed at the offender's expense
and cost between $70 and $150. They are usually mandated for
two to three years after the conviction.

In

Los Angeles interlock
devices are highly advocated by groups such as Mothers
Against Drunk Driving (MADD). According to MADD, simply
suspending driving is ineffective, as driving is necessary for
most people to get to work, or go to the grocery store, or
doctors office. The inconvenience of not being able to drive
generally outweighs the offender's fear of breaking the law,
and 50 to 70 percent of drunk drivers with suspended licences
are reported to drive anyway. With the use of an

ignition interlock Los Angeles

motor vehicle operators who have had drunk driving
offenses are allowed to drive, so long as they prove they are
sober enough to do so. While it is possible for a drunk driver
to have someone else breathe into the device, or to borrow a
car from someone without an ignition device installed, most
states have strict penalties for anyone who helps a DUI
offender in this way.