$AXXU << why the push for interlocks??? cuz they work!!
Over the past five years our state has struggled with the reality of how difficult it is to stop drunk driving. Our state has some of the harshest penalties in the entire nation for first time offenders. In the last 10 years we have gone from no jail to soon a mandated 10 days without any possibility of suspension regardless of the defendant’s individual circumstances.
Today a person convicted of an extreme DUI faces fines and jail fees totaling around:
-
$5,000.00 - 30 days in tent city meeting new and interesting people
- 16 hours of alcohol education
- 20 hours of group therapy
- Mandated driver education class
- 30 hours of community restitution
- State approved interlock device installed on the defendant's car for 1 YEAR
Out of all of the fines, jail and classes, there is only one way to ensure that a person will not drive drunk - the Interlock.
Right now there are over 15,000 people in the state of Arizona who have an interlock in their car. That’s 15,000 people who know that there are devices on their car that will not let their car start if they have above a .03 BAC (Breath Alcohol Content). 50% of those individuals attempt to start their cars when they are above .08. That’s right over half have attempted to drive when they were legally impaired to do so. Of course their cars don’t start and they are left stuck with no means to start their car. More importantly is that these people tried to drive drunk in the first place.
There are penalties associated with blowing positive into the Interlock; all interlock companies charge for this type of violation. The person is stuck in a car that won’t work. The most significant penalty is that The Arizona Department of Transportation will order an additional year with the restricted interlock license for every three times the person attempts to start their vehicle with a BAC greater than a .08. With all of these penalties who would ever risk it? You may think that they are all severe drunks, with no jobs, families or friends, but this is not the case.
The simple fact is that alcohol affects everyone differently. Most people who blow positive into their machine do so when there judgment and logical reasoning has already been impaired.
AND THAT’S THE PROBLEM , by the time you should not attempt to drive its too late, your judgment is impaired and you’re not thinking clearly.
Currently Arizona law requires 16 hours of education to help teach people about the effects of alcohol and its effects on the body. The same people who try to start their car when they are above a .08 BAC, have already completed the ordered alcohol education so they should know that if they are out drinking until 2:00 am and they need to leave to go to work at 7:00 AM there is still a considerable amount of alcohol in their blood. Yet most of the people who try to drive drunk with an interlock do so the morning after. Some had taken cabs home or not driven out at all the night before. AGAIN the only thing that stopped them was the interlock.
The only way to assure that these people don’t drive after they have been drinking is the interlock. New Mexico was the first state to adopt mandated interlocks for all first time DUI convictions. With two years of data they have found a 28% reduction in alcohol related injuries accidents and a reduction in repeat offenders. Fewer repeat offenders mean safer roads.
Currently the information that an interlock provides is only being used by the court and ADOT. The people who are responsible for educating the DUI offender are not aware or no longer teaching the person with an interlock. The data that would be provided to the alcohol classes would allow the counselor to discuss the individuals drinking history with them to illustrate different ways to avoid driving under the influence.
Probation officer can retrieve information on line 24 hours a day to verify compliance with no alcohol orders. Pretrial services can verify whether a person is driving to and from work or out driving around. Unlike SCRAM that is a reporting only device, the interlock STOPS the person from driving drunk.
Another fact is that right now less than 35% of all of the people who are ordered to get the interlock do. That would mean that if half of the people who have the interlock try to drive drunk what is the percentage for the 65% of the people who are ordered to get the interlock but don’t. These people drive without a license and end up with a significant risk of being felony DUI’s. This is evidenced by the explosions in aggravated DUI in superior court calling for creative solutions like DUI court and preliminary hearing pea policies. The only penalty associated with not complying with the Interlock requirement is loss of license.
A second reason to tie the interlock to the alcohol classes is if the defendant failed to get the interlock they would not be able to complete the court ordered education and would be required to serve an additional 20 days in jail. The cost of the Interlock is as little as $770. A year the cost of the additional 20 days in jail is $1680.00 and again when the defendant gets out of jail only the interlock can make sure that they can’t drive drunk.
