Breath-test bill looks to curb drunk driving

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Convicted drunk drivers in Los Angeles County may become part of a pilot anti-drunk driving program that would install Big Brother-esque ignition-locking breath analysis systems in their cars, essentially forcing them to pass a Breathalyzer test before the car can be started.

The program, which would run from 2010 to 2016 in Los Angeles, Alameda, Sacramento and Tulare counties, links a Breathalyzer system to the vehicle’s ignition that the driver must blow into before starting the car. If a blood alcohol level below the legal limit of 0.08% is detected, the car will start. If a level over the legal limit is detected, well, drivers will be stuck phoning Yellow Cab.

The bill, which is backed by Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the California Highway Patrol and AAA, is currently awaiting approval by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. According to MADD, 40% of California drunk driving arrests last year were made in the four pilot counties.

Currently, such devices are available, but their use remains in the hands of the courts. Under the new bill, ignition-locking devices would replace restricted licenses for convicted drunk drivers.

Funding remains a topic of debate. While the bill mandates that convicted drunk drivers pay for the devices, the American Beverage Institute claims the program would prove difficult for parole agents and probation officers to enforce, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
-- Brian Alexander

Brian Alexander is a staff writer at DriverSide.com