Interlock Facts

WASHINGTON – Today the American Beverage Institute (ABI) denounced ignition interlock bill AB91 which is being heard at 9am tomorrow before the Assembly Public Safety Committee. This bill would mandate the installation of breathalyzers in the cars of low-BAC (blood alcohol concentration), first-time offenders in four of California’s most populous counties - Los Angeles, San Diego, Alameda, and Sacramento.

Tomorrow, ABI Managing Director Sarah Longwell will testify before the Committee against this bill.

The goal of this pilot program is allegedly to measure the effectiveness of ignition interlocks over a 4 year period and then decide whether to implement the program throughout the state. But, the counties included in this pilot program equate to roughly half of California’s total population.

Bill sponsor Feuer introduced a similar low-BAC, first-offender bill last year which would have applied to the whole state. The legislation was rejected by the legislature (for good reason). Now, Feuer has reintroduced it this year in the form of a “pilot program” which applies to half of the state. This is essentially a sneaky legislative maneuver to make his failed bill become law.

“What kind of pilot program applies to 16 million people?” Longwell asked. “This ignition interlock bill aims to circumvent the system that rejected it last year.”

“California was right to kill this bill last year,” said Longwell. “By mandating breathalyzers for first time offenders, regardless of their BAC level, this proposal ignores the root cause of today’s drunk driving problem—hard core alcohol abusers,” said Longwell.

In fact, according to former MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) president Katherine Prescott, the drunk driving problem has been reduced to “a hard core of alcoholics who do not respond to public appeal.” Further, data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) show that the average BAC of a drunk driver in a fatal car crash in California is 0.18% -- more than twice 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.”

But the bill pending in California fails to target this dangerous population and instead will force first-time DUI offenders, even those just one sip over the legal limit, to install breathalyzers in their cars.

Longwell continued, “A 120 pound woman can reach the .08 BAC level by having two glasses of wine in two hours. Should she receive the same punishment as someone with a .18 BAC level or multiple offenses?"