http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-03-06/dui-ignition-interlock/53375666/1
Calls for laws that require the installation of ignition interlock devices in all vehicles of DUI offenders have grown louder in New Jersey after the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reported a lower incidence of drunk driving after states enacted ignition interlock laws.
According to the Insurance Institute report, the number of repeat drunk driving arrests drops when states require ignition interlock devices to be installed in all vehicles of DUI offenders, even those convicted of first time offenses. In New Jersey, the law requires the installation of ignition interlock devices in the vehicles of repeat DUI offenders and those who are convicted of refusal. The law also requires the installation of ignition interlock devices in the vehicles of drivers with a blood-alcohol concentration of .15% or higher.
The Insurance Institute report makes a strong case for mandatory device installation in the vehicles of all DUI offenders. The report is likely to bolster support for a federal highway transportation funding bill that includes a provision requiring states to enact ignition interlock device laws or risk losing federal highway funding. The prospect of losing highway funding is not an attractive one during a recession, and many states, including New Jersey, could fold under the pressure.
Some New Jersey DUI lawyers argue that the state’s laws against drunk driving are strict enough, and there is no need to require DUI devices on the vehicles of all offenders. The devices are expensive to install and even more expensive to maintain, placing an unnecessary financial strain on the driver.
The New Jersey DUI lawyers at Helmer Paul Conley and Kasselman represent persons charged with DUI across New Jersey.
