Presentation to the Illinois State University

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• Presentation to the Illinois State University
• April 20, 2006

Ignition Interlock Devices Should they be
Mandated for DUI Offenders?
Dr. Ronald Henson, Ph.D.
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The Magnitude of the NationsDUI Problem

• Source National Survey on Drug Use and Health
  (NSDUH) 2003 Survey
• In the year prior to the survey,
• An estimated 32 million people drove under the
  influence of alcohol
• An estimated 10.9 million people drove under the
  influence of drugs

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Consequences

• Over 44,000 people were killed in car crashes in
  2003
• Traffic crashes are the single greatest cause of
  death for every age group between two and 33
  years of age in the U.S.
• Alcohol related crashes alone claim about 17,000
  lives and cost society over 100 billion dollars
  each year
• Untold pain and suffering

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Ignition Interlock Device

• Designed for repeat offenders
• Acts as a breathalyzer wired into the ignition
• Costs include installation, monthly lease and
  service fees paid by the offender (5.00 per day
  average)

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Ignition Interlock

• A breathalyzer device is installed in the car
• Any positive results and the car will not start
• Another test is required 5 minutes later and then
  every 30 minutes thereafter
• Any positive reading after the car is started an
  alarm sounds and headlights flash
• Every test is saved and downloaded at the service
  center every 60 days

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Impaired Driving Countermeasures

• General Deterrence we must deter people from
  driving impaired in the first place e.g. tough
  laws, publicized and visible enforcement,
  alternative transportation
• Specific Deterrence once caught, we must have
  effective sanctions for offenders e.g. vehicle
  sanctions, interlocks, treatment

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Interlocks Are Effective
Interlock Data 31 Re-arrests/2185
Interlocked/0.45yrs3.15/yr
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Strategies That Impact the High Risk Drinking
Driver

• Driver Sanctions
• Jail / Prison
• Driver License Revocation
• Disabling the Higher Risk Driver
• Sanctions to prevent offenders from driving
• License plate confiscation
• Vehicle immobilization
• Vehicle impoundment
• Restricting the Higher Risk Driver
• Alcohol ignition interlock devices
• Treating the Higher Risk Driver
• Education and treatment

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Design Improvements

• Add a personal identification system - gt ability
  to prevent forgery
• Require multiple tests at random intervals - gt
  ability to prevent forgery
• Design a way to log the blows made by the driver
  - gt ability to monitor illicit behavior

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Productive Citizens

• Associated Press - April 6, 2005 SANTA FE, N.M.
  -- Chris Romero hops into his Ford pickup, and
  reaches for what looks like a black cell phone
  hanging from his dashboard.
• "Ready for test. Please blow," reads the display
  screen on the device. Romero blows for about four
  seconds into a short plastic tube, then hears a
  beep. He passed the test -- the screen says,
  "Drive safely."
• The twice-convicted drunken driver is driving
  safely these days -- thanks to his determination
  and the help of an ignition interlock, which
  would prevent him from starting the truck if he
  had been drinking.
• "I just think it's a really good thing," said
  Romero, 42, who gave up alcohol after the device
  was installed three months ago. "It's almost a
  safety net."
• About 2,600 offenders a year ordered by courts to
  get interlocks, New Mexico has more of them
  currently installed per capita than any other
  state. And that number could skyrocket. All
  convicted drunken drivers -- nearly 13,000
  annually -- will be required to get interlocks
  under a new law.

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Opposition to the Use of Ignition Interlock
Systems

• The California Department of Motor Vehicles has
  just released a study entitled An Evaluation of
  the Effectiveness of Ignition Interlock in
  California Report to the Legislature of the
  State of California.  Among their conclusions
• The expected effect that an IID order/restriction
  issued by the courtwould result in a lower rate
  of subsequent DUI convictions was notobserved.
  (p. 7)
• The risk of a subsequent crash was higher for
  drivers installing anIID, compared to drivers
  not installing a device drivers installingan
  IID had a risk of a subsequent crash that was 84
  higher thandrivers not installing an IID. (p.
  10)
• The results of this outcome study clearly show
  that IIDs are noteffective in reducing DUI
  convictions or incidents for first DUIoffenders 
  ...  Because there is no evidence that interlocks
  are aneffective traffic safety measure for first
  DUI offenders, the use ofthe devices should not
  be emphasized. (p. 22)

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Defeating Strategies

• Interlock devices can be fooled through the use
  of filtered or stored samples, or samples
  introduced by mechanical devices.
• Using a bystander to provide a sample.
• Driving another persons vehicle and leaving the
  vehicle with the interlock device parked.

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Implementation Issues

• Judges do not believe the devices are effective
• The rolling breath test is dangerous
• Monitoring the offenders with the interlock
  devices is difficult and court monitoring
  paperwork is a nightmare
• Are indigent offenders entitled to the sanction?

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Challenges
People will try almost ANYTHING to beat a DUI
charge
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Should Society Accept the Risk?