California Assemblyman Fights for Ignition Interlock
According to the September 23, 2009 San Jose <em>Mercury News</em>, the State of California has a serious drunk driving issue. Specifically: more than 300, 000 drivers in the Golden State have three or more DUIs, and more than 40,000 have been convicted five or more times. This has led to a devastating death toll. In 2007, for example, drunk drivers were involved in 53, 261 accidents, and caused 1,501 fatalities.
Mike Feuer, Democratic Assemblyman from Los Angeles, believes something can be done about this scary statistic. Hes a proponent of a plan to install ignition interlock devices on vehicles owned or operated by drivers with DUI convictions. Once these devices are activated, the driver must blow into the device for an on-the-spot breathalyzer. If they dont pass, the car doesnt start.
Assemblyman Feuer has submitted a bill, AB91, which would set up a pilot program for these devices in Alameda, Los Angeles, Sacramento, and Tulare counties, but Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has not yet signed the bill.
Precedent for the use of such devices exists. Already, seven other states (West Virginia, Washington, Virginia, New Mexico, Illinois, Colorado, and Alaska) are requiring ignition interlocks for first-time DUI offenders, with encouraging results. In New Mexico, the state that formerly led the count for most alcohol-related crash deaths in the country, the use of this technology has reduced the number of alcohol-related deaths by 35%, and the number of repeat offenders by 60%.
Critics of Feuers bill say implementing such a system will cost too much, but the Assemblyman points out that his legislation, which has garnered significant bipartisan support, wont cost the state anything. Instead, it would be financed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which launched a $10 million program to reduce drunk driving, last year. Other program-related costs would be passed directly to offenders, in the form of fees.
Currently, accidents involving drunk drivers account for roughly 20% of auto insurance payouts in California. A mere 10% reduction in accidents is estimated to save residents $300 million in insurance premiums.
