Since drunk driving accidents cause serious injuries and substantial medical expenses, Connecticut is taking the dangers of drunk drivers seriously. The state recently passed a law that requires individuals with multiple drunk driving accident convictions to use a vehicle disabling device on any car the convicted individual plans to drive.
Vehicle disabling devices, specifically Alcohol Ignition Interlocks Devices, do something for which the police do not have sufficient time; they measure blood alcohol content by requiring the driver to blow into a tube each time the driver gets into the driver’s seat.
If the driver’s blood alcohol content is above 0.03, the Interlock will prevent the vehicle from starting. Furthermore, there are additional rolling retests that could occur at 5-20 minute intervals because blood alcohol content could increase over time. This also prevents the driver from having another individual blow into the device to start the car.
Because studies show many convicted drunk drivers drove drunk a number of times before and after they were caught, the Interlock systems are a particularly important safety measure. They monitor drunk driving in a way an individual police officer cannot, by constant presence prior to ignition.
Drivers who are charged with drunk driving face serious and expensive penalties if found guilty. Interlock devices are not only cumbersome, they can be expensive; the drunk driver must pay to have the Alcohol Ignition Interlock Device installed and recalibrated every 60 days.
Hopefully, with harsher consequences a possibility, drunk people in Connecticut will be deterred from taking to the road. The consequences of a drunk driving accident can be severe and lasting for both the victim and the perpetrator.
Source: East Haven Patch, “Don’t Drink & Drive: A DUI Could Mean An AIID Too,” Terri Miles, Mar. 28, 2012
