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Study Shows Ignition Interlocks Prevented Thousands Of Drunk Driving Attempts

More Than 37,000 Drunk Driving Attempts Were Prevented Last Year

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Jim Mone/AP Photo

A study released Tuesday by Mothers Against Drunk Driving found ignition interlock devices prevented 37,299 drunk driving incidents in Wisconsin last year. Wisconsin led the nation in the number of drunk driving attempts that were prevented by interlocks.

The ignition interlock requires a person to blow in the device and stops a person from starting their car if their blood alcohol content is above the legal limit.

Frank Harris, who works with the organization and helped author the study, said the device helps saves resources.

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“Just imagine how much time that saved law enforcement from arresting that person from driving drunk or arresting someone from driving on a suspended license,” Harris said. “More importantly how many times those 37,000 instances prevented a potential drunk driving fatality.”

Harris also said the number of attempts is both alarming and surprising.

“People are still trying to drive drunk even though they have a device in their vehicle preventing them from doing it again,” he said. “It’s remarkable in the sense that what if there was no interlock on these people’s vehicles? They’d be on the road driving drunk potentially killing or injuring somebody on Wisconsin roadways.”

Harris said the interlocks can be used by people who haven’t had any prior convictions and just want to be safe.

The study credits the device for stopping more than 200,000 drunk driving incidents over the past 10 years.

Wisconsin law requires first-time drunken drivers with blood alcohol contents of at least 0.15 percent as well as all repeat offenders to use interlocks. Drivers breathe into the devices, which can detect whether they’re above the 0.08 blood alcohol content percentage limit for driving. If a driver is over, the device prevents the vehicle from starting, according to The Associated Press.