Friday, June 15, 2007
MADD pushes more Ignition Interlocks for DUI offenders
San Diego DUI Attorney / San Diego Drunk Driving Lawyer news -
MADD expanding of DUI interlock program
CHARLESTON, W.Va. —
All convicted DUI drivers must have an ignition interlock device installed in their vehcile so an instant blood alcohol content check is made in West Virginia.
The idea is proposed & discussed by a special panel assembled by the state chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving in work on possible legislation by Judiciary Subcommittee C.
“We have some limited interlock right now,” said MADD’s executive director, Donna Hawkins, “but there is some movement across the country to expand that.
“Whether we’ll do that or not, I don’t know.”
Steve Dale, the assistant commissioner of the Division of Motor Vehicles, says the intent of interlock is to enable convicted motorists to regain their licenses, and is voluntary on the first offense.
“The reason why it’s mandatory on a second offense is because it’s part of the federal repeat offenders law that was passed two years ago,” Dale explained Thursday.
Under the state’s program, a DUI - convicted motorist reports to one of four locations while a third-party vendor installs the device.
“You have to blow into the device before the car will start,” Dale said.
“And it will, at various times, ask you for a test at random. The car won’t start at all if you blow a high BAC.”
One popular misconception is that a vehicle will stop automatically as soon as a high BAC is recorded. Actually, the driver is alerted by flashing lights.
“When you blow into the device while driving, it doesn’t shut the engine off immediately,” Dale said. “There is a delay built into it.”
An offender bears the entire cost, which runs about $65 monthly in addition to the $50 installation fee.
“Normally, we have about 1,000 people on the program at any one time,” Dale said.
“It’s really very technologically advanced. Our staff here in Charleston can download the activity report from each machine and be able to determine how many times an attempt was made to start a car and you blew an alcohol reading and attempted to circumvent the system.”
Each month, a driver convicted of DUI using interlock must have the device checked out and tuned up.
MADD expanding of DUI interlock program
CHARLESTON, W.Va. —
All convicted DUI drivers must have an ignition interlock device installed in their vehcile so an instant blood alcohol content check is made in West Virginia.
The idea is proposed & discussed by a special panel assembled by the state chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving in work on possible legislation by Judiciary Subcommittee C.
“We have some limited interlock right now,” said MADD’s executive director, Donna Hawkins, “but there is some movement across the country to expand that.
“Whether we’ll do that or not, I don’t know.”
Steve Dale, the assistant commissioner of the Division of Motor Vehicles, says the intent of interlock is to enable convicted motorists to regain their licenses, and is voluntary on the first offense.
“The reason why it’s mandatory on a second offense is because it’s part of the federal repeat offenders law that was passed two years ago,” Dale explained Thursday.
Under the state’s program, a DUI - convicted motorist reports to one of four locations while a third-party vendor installs the device.
“You have to blow into the device before the car will start,” Dale said.
“And it will, at various times, ask you for a test at random. The car won’t start at all if you blow a high BAC.”
One popular misconception is that a vehicle will stop automatically as soon as a high BAC is recorded. Actually, the driver is alerted by flashing lights.
“When you blow into the device while driving, it doesn’t shut the engine off immediately,” Dale said. “There is a delay built into it.”
An offender bears the entire cost, which runs about $65 monthly in addition to the $50 installation fee.
“Normally, we have about 1,000 people on the program at any one time,” Dale said.
“It’s really very technologically advanced. Our staff here in Charleston can download the activity report from each machine and be able to determine how many times an attempt was made to start a car and you blew an alcohol reading and attempted to circumvent the system.”
Each month, a driver convicted of DUI using interlock must have the device checked out and tuned up.
# posted by SanDiegoDUI @ 4:58 PM 
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