Drunk driving has become an issue that advocacy groups such as MADD, law enforcement and the courts have attempted to combat. MADD's mission is to end drunk driving, but at the same time, both the MADD organization and the courts have recognized that penalizing drunk drivers through fines, license suspensions and jail time may not prevent some drivers from repeating their mistakes. Technology has finally caught up with this issue and provided a way for convicted drunk drivers to retain some driving privileges, while keeping the traveling public safe if the driver has consumed alcohol before driving.
Machines called ignition interlock devices can be installed on a convicted drunk driver's vehicle. With the passage of Leandra's Law in 2009, ignition interlock devices became mandatory for any driver that wants to continue to use a vehicle after a drunk driving conviction.
How the Ignition Interlock Device Works
The ignition interlock tests the driver's breath alcohol content each time the driver uses his or her vehicle. If the driver fails the breath test, the vehicle cannot be started. If the driver passes, the vehicle can be used, and the driver may have to provide other breath samples while in route to the driver's destination.
The readings from the various BAC tests, along with the photos captured by the device, are reviewed by Nassau County probation officers. If there is no indication of alcohol and the photo matches up with the driver, then he is free to continue driving. If alcohol was detected, severe consequences could result.
In Nassau County, the only approved ignition interlock provider is Interceptor, located in Shirley, New York. Interceptor's device not only tests the alcohol content of a driver before he turns the key, but can repeatedly ask the driver while the car is in motion to take another test. Interceptor is being used by jurisdictions throughout the United States.
The ignition interlock device costs around $600 to install and the manufacturer says more than 30,000 have been produced to date. Drivers also typically pay monthly maintenance fees to participate in the ignition interlock device program.
