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Title: New ignition lock laws aim to foil drunk drivers
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URL Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090102 ... i_legislation_ignition_locks_4
Published: Jan 2, 2009
Author: MICHAEL TARM
Post Date: 2009-01-02 14:59:31 by Jethro Tull
Keywords: None
Views: 1615
Comments: 150
CHICAGO – Motorists convicted of driving drunk will have to install breath-monitoring gadgets in their cars under new laws taking effect in six states this week. The ignition interlocks prevent engines from starting until drivers blow into the alcohol detectors to prove they're sober. Alaska, Colorado, Illinois, Nebraska and Washington state began Jan. 1 requiring the devices for all motorists convicted of first-time drunken driving. South Carolina began requiring them for repeat offenders. Mothers Against Drunk Driving has been conducting a nationwide campaign to mandate ignition locks for anyone convicted of drunken driving, claiming doing so would save thousands of lives. But critics say interlocks could lead to measures that restrict alcohol policies too much. Users must pay for the fist-sized devices, which in Illinois cost around $80 to install on dashboards and $80 a month to rent; there's also a $30 monthly state fee. And they require periodic retesting while the car is running. "It's amazingly inconvenient," said David Malham, of the Illinois chapter of MADD. "But the flip side of the inconvenience is death." Other states with similar laws include New Mexico, Arizona and Louisiana. Most other states give judges the option of forcing convicted drunk drivers to use the devices. In practice though, they are rarely ordered unless laws mandate them, according to MADD. Until now, that's been true in Illinois, said MADD national CEO Chuck Hurley. "Illinois has excellent law enforcement," he said. "But the judicial system leaks like a sieve. This law will change the catch and release system to one where people are at least caught and tagged." In Illinois, the interlocks are mandated only for the five to 11 months licenses are suspended with a first DUI. Drivers can opt not to install them, but then would be banned from driving during the suspension period. Motorists in Colorado get a similar choice — install the devices or get a longer suspension. The law taking effect in Washington state actually relaxes penalties on drunk drivers, allowing them to avoid a previously mandatory license suspension by getting an interlock. The bill's author, Rep. Roger Goodman, said too many motorists were driving with suspended licenses. Motorists could try to skirt the devices by, say, having someone else blow into the detector or driving someone else's car. But if caught trying to circumvent the interlocks, they could go to jail. Within a year, up to 30,000 first-time offenders in Illinois could be using them, state officials estimate. New Mexico was the first state to mandate the devices in 2005. Since then, according to MADD, that state has seen its drunk-driving deaths fall 20 percent. Hurley said other states could see the same percentage decline within a few years. DUI deaths nationally have plummeted to around 15,000 from around 30,000 annually in the early 1980s. Malham, who supports the technology, said in the future even more advanced technology will enable cars to effectively sniff car cabins, scan faces and eyes of drivers or even test sweat on steering wheels to assess sobriety before engines start. Not everyone is as enthusiastic. One of the staunchest critics of interlock laws for first-time offenders is the Washington-based American Beverage Institute, a trade association representing restaurants and retailers. ABI managing director Sarah Longwell said the group backs interlock laws targeting repeat offenders and those arrested with high blood-alcohol levels. But she said laws advocated by MADD don't allow judges to distinguish between those who have a few drinks and go just over the 0.08 blood-alcohol legal limit and those who go way over. "We want sensible alcohol policies," she said. "We want 10 people to be able to come in and have one drink and not one person to come in and have 10." She said current interlock laws could lead to more draconian measures. "We foresee is a country in which you're no longer able to have a glass of wine, drink a beer at a ball game or enjoy a champagne toast at a wedding," she said. "There will be a de facto zero tolerance policy imposed on people by their cars." She argued that MADD puts too much emphasis on links between alcohol and traffic deaths, giving too little regard to the roles excessive speed and driver cell-phone use in deadly accidents. Proponents of interlock laws say studies back their approach. They cite a 2008 study by the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation that found interlock devices in New Mexico helped decrease repeat offenses by approximately two-thirds. MADD also points to figures showing one-third of all drunk drivers have a prior DUI conviction. The American Beverage Institute questions studies cited by advocates, saying they other factors, like education programs, also account for the declines. Malham concedes Illinois' new law isn't perfect. For one, it only applies to drivers during relatively short license-suspension periods. "But perfection can't be the enemy of the good, to quote (18th century philosopher) Voltaire," he said. "I'd like to see more teeth in the law in the future. But this is a start."
Poster Comment: With all the car rentals, they'll also have to note the conviction on a persons drivers license. This will mean whenever a person uses their lic. for ID (as in a new job, etc) the conviction will appear.
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Comments (1-16) not displayed.
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#17. To: Dakmar (#16)
Don't forget kitchen knives...
How about accepting them as one of the risks of living in a free country? I would much rather have to guard myself against drunk drivers than guard myself against a tyrannical police state. And I'm sorry to hear about your sis. That sucks.
I shall not vote for evil, lesser or otherwise. I used to tie their red ribbons on my car antenna. Now I wouldn't tie a bag of shit with them. :)
I shall not vote for evil, lesser or otherwise. and old, bald dudes...
I shall not vote for evil, lesser or otherwise. Don't rub it in, hairy one.
I would much rather have to guard myself against drunk drivers than guard myself against a tyrannical police state. i agree with you. admittedly, it's difficult for me to be completely objective here with images of my sister's massive injuries still crystal clear in my mind. the man responsible, a repeat offender, only lost his license for a year, btw.
Over the years you've convinced me of the strength of your character it almost seems silly to have to reassure you, but I understand how you feel, it shows great patience on your part not to just freakin lash out at idiots like me sometimes. There, how's that? :)
The ultimate effect of shielding men from the effects of folly, is to fill the world with fools. - Herbert Spencer
I'm sorry to hear that. I have no sympathy for drunk drivers. A car is a weapon just as much as a gun is when used improperly. A drunk shooter couldn't get away with an "accidental" murder, but drunk drivers do to a large extent.
God is always good!
i agree. i don't know what is the best approach for dealing with DUI offenders. I think Sweden has the best solution. Get busted for a DUI and your license is revoked for life. Of course I would favor a chance to appeal for reinstatement after ten years - wherein the individual must prove they were responsible in that time, and that any restitution has been fully made. EXCEPT that if the individual was involved in an accident where someone was badly injured or killed it is permanent with no reinstatement under any circumstance. PERIOD.
""I think the subject which will be of most importance politically is Mass Psychology...It's importance has been enormously increased by the growth of modern methods of propaganda...Although this science will be diligently studied, it will be rigidly confined to the governing class. The populace will not be allowed to know how its convictions were generated." Bertrand Russel, Eugenicist and Logician
Are you one of those hard shell Baptists?
I don't trust government with that kind of power. There was a time I might have agreed, but not any more. No way. They can't be trusted to administer justice any more.
I shall not vote for evil, lesser or otherwise. I read you and like most of what you say and believe. But not on this one.
I don't trust government with that kind of power. There was a time I might have agreed, but not any more. No way. They can't be trusted to administer justice any more. I understand your viewpoint, and largely agree that I do not trust the current crop of JBT's to fairly and honestly administer the law. However, there is no excuse for drunk driving. It is a thorny issue GIVEN the untrustworthiness of the JBT's, but anyone convicted in a court, where the facts are proven, has no business on the road. They have proven that they ARE NOT responsible adults and are unworthy of trust themselves. If they can provide exculpatory evidence then they should be able to prove their innocence. While I feel sorry for them I see no reason to extend them undue and unearned courtesy of the doubt.
""I think the subject which will be of most importance politically is Mass Psychology...It's importance has been enormously increased by the growth of modern methods of propaganda...Although this science will be diligently studied, it will be rigidly confined to the governing class. The populace will not be allowed to know how its convictions were generated." Bertrand Russel, Eugenicist and Logician
That is fine. I do not think less of someone for disagreeing. Upon what point, or points, do you disagree and why?
""I think the subject which will be of most importance politically is Mass Psychology...It's importance has been enormously increased by the growth of modern methods of propaganda...Although this science will be diligently studied, it will be rigidly confined to the governing class. The populace will not be allowed to know how its convictions were generated." Bertrand Russel, Eugenicist and Logician
No, I'm the son of a drunk and so have little tolerance for it.
""I think the subject which will be of most importance politically is Mass Psychology...It's importance has been enormously increased by the growth of modern methods of propaganda...Although this science will be diligently studied, it will be rigidly confined to the governing class. The populace will not be allowed to know how its convictions were generated." Bertrand Russel, Eugenicist and Logician
I'm not trying to pick a fight, but there is a certain arbitrariness in the system. Like all zero-tolerance laws, it'd be neat if it were applied evenly, but it isn't.
The ultimate effect of shielding men from the effects of folly, is to fill the world with fools. - Herbert Spencer
So am I. My dad must not been as pathetic as your dad, nanana! :)
The ultimate effect of shielding men from the effects of folly, is to fill the world with fools. - Herbert Spencer
ahhhh..thank you ;)
You are right that the zero tolerance laws are often asinine. However, when one takes an action, voluntarily, which puts the lives at others at risk just how tolerant do we want to be?
""I think the subject which will be of most importance politically is Mass Psychology...It's importance has been enormously increased by the growth of modern methods of propaganda...Although this science will be diligently studied, it will be rigidly confined to the governing class. The populace will not be allowed to know how its convictions were generated." Bertrand Russel, Eugenicist and Logician
So am I. My dad must not been as pathetic as your dad, nanana! :) LOL! He was a fine man when he was sober. Unfortunately that became less and less frequent over time. He had so much talent and so many gifts, and so many pissed away opportunities. Sigh. I can't rewrite yesterday, but I can imagine how it could have been better.
""I think the subject which will be of most importance politically is Mass Psychology...It's importance has been enormously increased by the growth of modern methods of propaganda...Although this science will be diligently studied, it will be rigidly confined to the governing class. The populace will not be allowed to know how its convictions were generated." Bertrand Russel, Eugenicist and Logician
How many lives am I endangering when I make a beer run at .07776% BAC?
The ultimate effect of shielding men from the effects of folly, is to fill the world with fools. - Herbert Spencer
Looking away from the road for a split second to adjust the heat in your car does exactly that. I say life without parole for adjusting the heat while driving.
I shall not vote for evil, lesser or otherwise. And now, here's.... Peace O_I, I done made my point that we're all human, ok?
The ultimate effect of shielding men from the effects of folly, is to fill the world with fools. - Herbert Spencer
Wish I would've!
The ultimate effect of shielding men from the effects of folly, is to fill the world with fools. - Herbert Spencer
Did Jesus turn water into wine or grape juice?
It depends upon how much your reaction time is slowed down and whether or not you hit an emergency situation where it slows you down enough to not avoid a preventable disaster. An automobile IS a deadly weapon in the hands of someone impaired. Of course I've seen a few idiots on the road, OK more than a few, who are impaired without being the worse for drink. The point, all joking aside, is that it is irresponsible to drive impaired by alcohol or any other intoxicant. Were it just your life at risk I would not think of interfering, but it is not. When you get behind the wheel of a car you have accepted the responsibility of handling it to the best of your ability. If the ability is lessened by some intoxicant then it IS an irresponsible act which could cost someone else their life.
""I think the subject which will be of most importance politically is Mass Psychology...It's importance has been enormously increased by the growth of modern methods of propaganda...Although this science will be diligently studied, it will be rigidly confined to the governing class. The populace will not be allowed to know how its convictions were generated." Bertrand Russel, Eugenicist and Logician
You are sounding like a Bush/Cheney record on skip. Oops, I'm showing my age. A good friend of mine doesn't approve of my smoking cigarettes but we are still friends. His dad died of lung cancer after a long struggle. I should quit smoking, but I haven't. I doubt that my smoking has killed any one.
So how fiercely would you prescibe I be punished for acting right inside the limits set by the law?
The ultimate effect of shielding men from the effects of folly, is to fill the world with fools. - Herbert Spencer
i'm not in disagreement with you on this as i loathe bureaucrats as much as you BUT, let me ask you. would you feel differently if it were your daughter killed by a repeat offender DUI'er?
Looking away from the road for a split second to adjust the heat in your car does exactly that. I say life without parole for adjusting the heat while driving. Strawman. Unless you are "three sheets to the wind" you are aware and alert thus able to judge whether you can shift your attention for a moment. Being drunk behind the wheel is not a momentary thing and we both know it. Your simile doesn't work because it isn't similar.
""I think the subject which will be of most importance politically is Mass Psychology...It's importance has been enormously increased by the growth of modern methods of propaganda...Although this science will be diligently studied, it will be rigidly confined to the governing class. The populace will not be allowed to know how its convictions were generated." Bertrand Russel, Eugenicist and Logician
In this country, two drinks puts the normal person over the limit...(0.08) Do two drinks make a drunk driver?
I used to drink and I used to drive and I used to drink and drive. I never hurt anything but my car(s). Now I don't drink, I don't drive and I don't drink and drive. Something should be done about drinking and driving. It causes alot of unnecessary injuries and deaths of innocents. I think maybe more severe punishment for injuries or deaths caused by drunk driving might be a better deterrent.
You are sounding like a Bush/Cheney record on skip. Oops, I'm showing my age. A good friend of mine doesn't approve of my smoking cigarettes but we are still friends. His dad died of lung cancer after a long struggle. I should quit smoking, but I haven't. I doubt that my smoking has killed any one. Ever hit a pedestrian while lighting a cigarette? ;-) Also the lung cancer rate for non-smokers, and this would shock the anti-smoking Nazi's into disbelief, is only slightly lower than for smokers. Smoking may increase the risk, but not as much as the hyperbole would lead people to believe. However, that is another issue. Your simile though, like Critter's, fails as an accurate simile to the instance of someone engaging in a VOLUNTARY activity, drinking, who then, while impaired, puts the lives of others at risk by getting behind the wheel of a deadly weapon. When you smoke you risk your own health which, as far as I am concerned, you are free to do. When you get behind the wheel of a car impaired you are putting at risk not just your own life but the lives of others who did not consent to that risk.
""I think the subject which will be of most importance politically is Mass Psychology...It's importance has been enormously increased by the growth of modern methods of propaganda...Although this science will be diligently studied, it will be rigidly confined to the governing class. The populace will not be allowed to know how its convictions were generated." Bertrand Russel, Eugenicist and Logician
Out here in flyover country they put up roadblocks and ask to see your papers. They put them up in the middle of nowhere, on strategic country roads and highways, normally after 10 p.m. What should be done about drinking and driving, in your opinion?
Or ban cars. Neither of them is the cause of irresponsibility. People choose when and where they drink and if they will need to be traveling or not after doing so. They make that choice while they are sober. If it wasn't alcohol it could just as easily be prescription drugs. I kind of doubt they will be banning prescription drugs anytime soon no matter how many people die from the use of them.
God is always good!
Damn, I knew there was a reason I adopted a new tagline.
The ultimate effect of shielding men from the effects of folly, is to fill the world with fools. - Herbert Spencer
What is impaired? Two bottles of beer?
You mean, Medicare Part D might not have been the altruistic piece of legislation I've been led to believe in?
The ultimate effect of shielding men from the effects of folly, is to fill the world with fools. - Herbert Spencer
Have you noticed that the pharma industry is the only that can afford commercial time during prime time? So, you are correct.
Comments (57 - 150) not displayed.
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#18. To: christine (#10)
i don't know what is the best approach for dealing with DUI offenders.
Used Tires Albany, NY
#19. To: Jethro Tull (#14)
Used Tires Albany, NY
#20. To: Fred Mertz (#17)
Don't forget kitchen knives...
Used Tires Albany, NY
#21. To: Critter (#20)
#22. To: Critter (#18)
How about accepting them as one of the risks of living in a free country?
#23. To: christine (#22)
#24. To: christine (#2)
#25. To: christine, Jethro Tull (#10)
Yep, they now have portable blood testing stations at these road blocks. I'm not making excuses for someone drunk and driving, but these methods aren't always accurate, nor are the lab tech always competent.
#26. To: Original_Intent (#25)
#27. To: Original_Intent (#25)
Get busted for a DUI and your license is revoked for life.
Used Tires Albany, NY
#28. To: Original_Intent (#25)
#29. To: Critter (#27)
Get busted for a DUI and your license is revoked for life.
#30. To: Fred Mertz (#28)
I read you and like most of what you say and believe. But not on this one.
#31. To: Fred Mertz (#26)
Are you one of those hard shell Baptists?
#32. To: Original_Intent (#29)
#33. To: Original_Intent (#31)
I'm the son of a drunk and so have little tolerance for it.
#34. To: Dakmar (#23)
There, how's that?
#35. To: Dakmar (#32)
#36. To: Dakmar (#33)
I'm the son of a drunk and so have little tolerance for it.
#37. To: Original_Intent (#35)
#38. To: Original_Intent (#35)
However, when one takes an action, voluntarily, which puts the lives at others at risk just how tolerant do we want to be?
Used Tires Albany, NY
#39. To: Original_Intent (#36)
He was a fine man when he was sober. Unfortunately that became less and less frequent over time.
#40. To: Critter (#38)
I say life without parole for adjusting the heat while driving.
#41. To: Original_Intent (#30)
Upon what point, or points, do you disagree and why?
#42. To: Dakmar (#37)
(Edited)
How many lives am I endangering when I make a beer run at .07776% BAC?
#43. To: Original_Intent (#35)
However, when one takes an action, voluntarily, which puts the lives at others at risk just how tolerant do we want to be?
#44. To: Original_Intent (#42)
#45. To: Critter (#38)
#46. To: Critter (#38)
However, when one takes an action, voluntarily, which puts the lives at others at risk just how tolerant do we want to be?
#47. To: Original_Intent (#46)
Unless you are "three sheets to the wind" you are aware..
#48. To: Jethro Tull, all (#0)
"It is like a trance. So what can break a trance? The only thing that can break the trance is the light of truth."
~ Canadian Philosopher John McMurtry as he comments on the psychological warfare that has afflicted us all
#49. To: All (#48)
"It is like a trance. So what can break a trance? The only thing that can break the trance is the light of truth."
~ Canadian Philosopher John McMurtry as he comments on the psychological warfare that has afflicted us all
#50. To: Fred Mertz (#43)
However, when one takes an action, voluntarily, which puts the lives at others at risk just how tolerant do we want to be?
#51. To: wudidiz (#48)
Something should be done about drinking and driving.
#52. To: Fred Mertz (#15)
Ban alcohol.
#53. To: wudidiz (#48)
I think maybe more severe punishment for injuries or deaths caused by drunk driving might be a better deterrent.
#54. To: Original_Intent (#50)
When you get behind the wheel of a car impaired you are putting at risk not just your own life but the lives of others who did not consent to that risk.
#55. To: RickyJ (#52)
I kind of doubt they will be banning prescription drugs anytime soon no matter how many people die from the use of them.
#56. To: RickyJ (#52)
I kind of doubt they will be banning prescription drugs anytime soon no matter how many people die from the use of them.
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