Safety effort plans to make interlock devices standard in vehicles ...

When it comes to roadway fatalities, alcohol is one of the largest contributors. Drunk driving accidents are some of the most horrific accidents that occur on an all too regular basis. The sad truth is that many of these fatal accidents could have easily been prevented if the intoxicated person simply found a different way to get home.

Because intoxicated persons often do not make the best decisions on their own, some safety advocates are making a push for requiring that interlock devices come standard in newer vehicles. In fact, a federal transportation bill has been introduced in the Senate that proposes granting an additional $24 million in federal funding to the effort. There is already a five-year, $10 million plan in place.

Interlock devices measure a driver's blood-alcohol level when he or she gets behind the wheel. The devices are programmed to detect when the blood-alcohol reaches the legal limit. If it detects that the legal limit has been reached, it prevents the car from starting.

There are some state laws that already include the device in their DUI penalty guidelines. For instance, some states require a second or third-offense driver to have one of the devices installed in the vehicle.

The blanket requirement has caused some controversy amongst some industries, including the restaurant industry. The American Beverage Institute has made their objections well known, fearing that the devices will be registered to detect below the legal limit. This and possible electronic malfunction, they say, could strand sober patrons.

These arguments are not without substance, but if you ask victims of an alcohol-related crash or their families. There is no doubt that many of them would be willing to be inconvenienced a couple times if it meant preventing horrific accidents from happening. When an accident does happen, there is civil recourse for victims and their families to obtain badly needed compensation that won't change the past but will help them move forward in life.

Source: Los Angeles Times, "Should future cars curb drunk drivers?" Dan Turner, March 28, 2012

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