Santa Barbara DUI Attorney Reports on Ignition Interlock Device Pilot Program
There are four counties serving as testing grounds for a law that would force anyone convicted of drunken driving to install a Breathalyzer device in their car. The Sacramento Bee reports: “In total, there have been 13,288 people convicted of DUI in the four counties – Sacramento, Los Angeles, Alameda and Tulare – since the law went into effect. Yet, state officials have confirmation of only 1,335 drivers who have had interlock devices placed on their vehicles. DMV officials contend it is too early to assess the program. They say some people convicted of DUI lose their license for months as part of their sentencing, so would not have registered yet for the interlock devices. The extremely low numbers, however, suggest others are driving illegally after conviction, without a valid license or a device.”
What does this mean for Santa Barbara DUI lawyers, or the Santa Barbara attorney representing drivers arrested for dui reckless driving or the likes. The consequences already provide a driver’s license suspension. The future may be a Breathalyzer device in all vehicles for all regardless.
The Bee reports the drunken driving issue heated up last week when New Mexico Sen. Tom Udall proposed research on new in-car technology to detect if a person has been drinking. Udall said, “The aim is to stop drunk driving, not discourage responsible social drinking,” he said in introducing the bill last week. “That means technology would have to be reliable, and block cars from starting only when the driver’s blood alcohol is 0.08 or higher,” Udall said.
The Bee reports Federal officials with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have been studying ways in which the steering wheel, the engine start button, and dashboard sensors can detect a person’s blood alcohol level. Lobbyists for restaurants and bars reacted by saying they fear the government will put unreliable technology in all cars to “eliminate Americans’ ability to have a glass of wine with dinner.”
If you have been arrested for DUI in Santa Barbara, contact Kenneth M. Hallum for more information or drunk driving questions. Know tour rights, options, and defenses.