Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) applauds Indiana lawmakers for advancing HB 1279 reforming the state’s drunk driving law. HB 1279, authored by Representative Jud McMillin and sponsored by Senator R Michael Young, is a step in the right direction as it will expand the use of ignition interlocks and improve drunk driving reform in the state. HB 1279 passed the General Assembly on March 6, 2014.
“MADD thanks Representatives McMillin and Kirchhofer , along with Senator Young, for their efforts in advancing this critical legislation. Reducing drunk driving in Indiana begins with requiring interlocks for all convicted drunk drivers, starting with the first offense,” said MADD National President Jan Withers. “We need to remain vigilant in our efforts to eliminate these senseless tragedies. Effective countermeasures including ignition interlock legislation has a proven track record of saving lives and stopping drunk driving.”
Currently, ignition interlocks are up to a judge’s discretion. Key provisions of HB 1279 include:
- Creates oversight of interlock vendors by the Indiana Department of Toxicology.
- Creates a Specialized Driving Permit for convicted drunk drivers ordered on an interlock for at least six months.
- Allows offenders to apply for a Specialized Driving Permit, restricted to using an interlock, immediately following a conviction.
- Provides for compliance based removal where judges can keep an offender an on interlock until he or she has proven sober driving.
- Becomes effective January 1, 2015.
Drunk driving is 100 percent preventable. In 2012, 229 people were killed in crashes involving a drunk driver in Indiana —representing 29 percent of all traffic fatalities in the state. In addition to the extraordinary emotional burden for victims, drunk driving deaths are an unnecessary economic hardship for Indiana, costing the state and taxpayers over $1.1 billion.
The use of ignition interlocks is the most effective approach to stop drunk driving compared to license revocation alone. License suspension with no interlock requirement is proven to not be the best approach as 50 to 75 percent of convicted drunk drivers continue to drive on a suspended license.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), ignition interlocks, on average, reduce drunk driving recidivism by 67 percent compared to license suspension alone. Ignition interlocks help the convicted drunk driver learn how to drive sober following a drunk driving conviction. Simply taking away an offender’s legal driving privilege, fails to teach sober driving behavior, but it an interlock is proven to teach an offender how to drive sober.
Additionally, studies show that a first-time convicted drunk driver is not a first-time offender, but rather it is simply the first time they have been caught. First-time offenders have driven drunk an average of 80 times before they are convicted.
“HB 1279 will increase the use of ignition interlocks for convicted drunk drivers and help prevent repeat offenses, since ignition interlocks are proven to be more effective than license revocation alone,” added Withers.
For more information on interlocks, visit madd.org/interlock.
