Law Offices of Taylor and Taylor

According to research done at the University of Pennsylvania, Driving Under the Influence (DUI) crashes take 11,000 American lives each year. The few states that require interlock devices have seen a 15% decrease in deaths due to drunk driving.

California is currently conducting a pilot program with interlock devices. California requires for first time offenders to use these devices for the span of five months. This program is taking place in four different counties including Tulare, Alameda, Los Angeles and Sacramento.

Frank Harris, director of state government affairs for Mothers of Drunk Driving, claims that the ignition interlock device program is wildly successful. “They have stopped over 124,000 drunk-driving attempts since July 2010 in California”.

The pilot program will be expiring next year and the State Senate Public Safety Committee is currently reviewing a bill that will make this program permanent. Senate Bill 1046 would give convicted DUI drivers the opportunity to obtain an ignition interlock and avoid a license suspension. If passed, it would make California the 26th state to require ignition-interlock devices for drunk driving offenders.

With the current system, drivers need to wait 30 days to receive the ignition interlock device.

Many Department of Motor Vehicle officials oppose the approach, they believe that suspending the driver’s license is ultimately the best way to keep them from drink and driving.

Department of Motor Vehicles officials fail to acknowledge that people have jobs, they have lives, and they depend on their vehicles to get from point A to Point B. Giving people the option to use the ignition interlock device would allow them to continue with their daily lives without needing to depend on other forms of transportation. Drivers would have the device for five months and if they attempt to drink and drive during the span of those five months, the device will not allow the car to start. It is an excellent program to reduce drunk driving while also not affecting these first time offenders daily commute to and from work.

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