One of the possible penalties that people have to face for drunk driving convictions is having to use an ignition interlock. These devices are meant to determine the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of the driver before the vehicle will move. The goal is to prevent future instances of impaired driving.
These devices are installed on your vehicle by an approved company. The results are continually recorded so they can be provided to the court. If you try to start the vehicle, you blow directly into the device. If the reading is higher than a preset limit, the car won’t start. If the reading is acceptable, you are free to drive where you need.
There are times when you will be instructed to provide another breath into the device while you are on the road. You must do this within a certain amount of time. You will have to stop to do this. If you don’t, either your horn will honk or an alarm will sound. The device won’t turn your car off, but it might record a failed test if you don’t provide the breath.
If you fail a test, the vehicle won’t start for a certain amount of time. With each failed test, the waiting period will get longer. If you are ordered to have an ignition interlock, you must have one installed on any vehicle you operate, including work vehicles. This might seem harsh, but it helps to ensure that you aren’t using secondary vehicles to drive after having a few drinks.
Ignition interlock devices can be costly, and they can be hard to comply with for some people. If you are concerned about this, discuss this with your attorney, so you can determine a plan to address the challenges.