Nebraska joins other states taking the lead, which have passed similar laws this year to require alcohol ignition interlocks for drunk drivers.
Ignition interlocks will be used as a condition of probation for drunk driving offenders after their driver’s licenses have been reinstated. An alcohol ignition interlock is a breath test device linked to a vehicle’s ignition system. When a convicted drunk driver wishes to start his or her vehicle, he or she must first blow into the device, and the vehicle will not start unless the driver’s alcohol level is below the predetermined limit.
“Since research shows that two-thirds of those whose licenses are suspended for drunk driving drive anyway, this new law will be a win-win for all involved” stated Alex McHugh, President of Ignition Interlock Services at Stereo West Auto Toys, which installs the devices in the Omaha/Council Bluffs and Lincoln areas. http://www.stereowestautotoys.com/
It has been estimated that nationally only one in eight convicted drunk drivers each year currently get an alcohol ignition interlock device, and most of those are repeat offenders.
