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Lautenberg-Udall Bill Eliminates States’ Authority on Interlock Use and Will Cost Over $432 million

ABI Says Congressional Interlock Mandate is the First Step Toward Getting Interlocks in All Cars
December 21, 2009

WASHINGTON – Today the American Beverage Institute (ABI), which represents thousands of American restaurants, denounced a Senate bill which would require that all 50 states mandate ignition interlocks – in-car breathalyzers – as punishment for low-BAC (blood alcohol concentration) first-time DUI offenders. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and Senators Lautenberg and Udall will hold a press conference about this bill today at 1:30pm.


Laws mandating ignition interlocks for all offenders deny judges the ability to distinguish between a driver one sip over the limit and high-BAC, repeat offenders. Only 12 states have enacted laws like this, while 26 have chosen to target the hardcore offenders: those arrested with high-BACs (.15% and above) and/or repeat convictions.

“The majority of states have decided not to enact these laws because they deny judicial discretion and ignore the root cause of today’s drunk driving problem—hard core alcohol abusers,” said ABI spokeswoman Sarah Longwell.
Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) show that the average BAC of a drunk driver in a fatal car crash is 0.19% -- more than twice the legal limit. But the Senate’s proposed interlock mandate doesn’t 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.

In addition to targeting the wrong offenders, this mandate will cost each state millions of dollars to enforce. The American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) recently estimated that the cost for supervision of offenders to states would be over $432 million. Yet, MADD will claim that this measure is cost-neutral to states.
“Don’t believe everything you hear. MADD has a long, sad history of juking the stats to drum up support for its activist, misguided policies,” Longwell said. MADD also claims that interlock laws reduced recidivism and decreased fatalities in New Mexico, but you can learn the truth on our website,www.InterlockFacts.com.

Furthermore, this mandate is an incremental step in MADD’s broader campaign to see ignition interlock technology installed in all new cars as standard equipment.
The federal government has partnered with MADD and auto manufacturers (including General Motors, Ford, Toyota, BMW, and Nissan) to develop ignition interlock technology that would come as standard equipment in all cars in the near future. Due to legal and liability implications, the devices would have to be set far below the legal limit – effectively eliminating millions of Americans’ ability to have a glass of wine with dinner, a beer at a ball game, or a champagne toast at a wedding and drive home.