Presentation to the Illinois State University April 20, 2006 Dr. Ronald Henson, Ph.D. Ignition Interlock Devices: Should they be Mandated for DUI Offenders?

The Magnitude of the Nation’s DUI 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

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

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)

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

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]

Interlocks Are Effective Interlock Data: 31 Re-arrests/2185 Interlocked/0.45yrs=3.15%/yr

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

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

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.

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 court would result in a lower rate of subsequent DUI convictions was not observed. (p. 7) –The risk of a subsequent crash was higher for drivers installing an IID, compared to drivers not installing a device; drivers installing an IID had a risk of a subsequent crash that was 84% higher than drivers not installing an IID. (p. 10) –The results of this outcome study clearly show that IIDs are not effective in reducing DUI convictions or incidents for first DUI offenders... Because there is no evidence that interlocks are an effective traffic safety measure for first DUI offenders, the use of the devices should not be emphasized. (p. 22)

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 person’s vehicle and leaving the vehicle with the interlock device parked.

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?

Challenges People will try almost ANYTHING to beat a DUI charge

Should Society Accept the Risk?