Interlock Facts

WASHINGTON – Today the American Beverage Institute (ABI) denounced ignition interlock bill HB2019 before the Pennsylvania House of Representatives which would mandate the installation of breathalyzers in the cars of low-BAC (blood alcohol concentration), first-time offenders. This morning, Rep. Paul Clymer (R-Bucks County) and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) will be speaking in the Capitol Rotunda in support of this wrongheaded bill.

“By mandating breathalyzers for first time offenders, regardless of their BAC level, this bill denies judicial discretion and ignores the root cause of today’s drunk driving problem—hard core alcohol abusers,” said ABI spokeswoman Sarah Longwell.

The ABI advocates for targeting the high-BAC drivers and repeat offenders, who comprise the core of today’s drunk driving problem. Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) show that the average BAC of a drunk driver in a fatal car crash is 0.18% -- that’s more than double the legal limit. Additionally, a NHTSA administrator has said that today’s problem is “by far and away” made up of “those who have alcohol use disorders.”

Even former MADD president Katherine Prescott has made similar statements, saying that the drunk driving problem has been reduced to “a hard core of alcoholics who do not respond to public appeal.” But the bill that MADD and Rep. Clymer are pushing for in Pennsylvania fails to target this population of dangerous drunks. Instead, this legislation would force low-BAC, first-time DUI offenders, even those just one sip over the legal limit, to install breathalyzers in their cars.

“With Pennsylvania’s drunk driving limit set at 0.08% BAC, this bill would mandate that drivers install a breathalyzer in their car for behavior that, according to numerous studies, impairs them less than driving while talking on a hands-free cell phone,” said Longwell. “A 120 pound woman can reach the 0.08% BAC level by having two glasses of wine in two hours. Should she receive the same punishment as someone with a 0.18% BAC level or multiple offenses?" “This bill won’t help solve the drunk driving problem in Pennsylvania,” she said, “because it targets the wrong people.”