If you find yourself facing one or more convictions of drinking and driving you could quickly find yourself with a car breathalyzer, also know as an ignition interlock. Drinking and driving is the cause of 28 deaths per day in America and the crashes alone cost more than $59 billion annually. These devices are responsible for reducing arrests associated with drinking and driving and can help save not only your life, but the life of others on the road. Once installed the driver must blow into the device before the car can be started. Along with the popularity of these devices, many myths have begun to circulate around them as well. Join as we debunk some of those myths.
Cost
Many people think that the device costs too much to have installed on their car. For starters the cost is about $150 to install and monthly maintenance costs are around $80 a month. Second, the cost of a DWI is much more than the cost of one of these devices. The cost of alcohol alone could easily be much more than the monthly costs of the device. They don’t cost thousands of dollars and are easily affordable.
Vehicle Harm
Another myth surrounding these devices is that the vehicle is damaged or harmed when it is installed. As long as a trained service professional installs the device then this should not be an issue. Properly trained professionals can install the device and also uninstall the device with no extra holes in the vehicle and no special equipment other than the device itself.
Friends
Some people get the impression that it is simple enough to just let your friend blow into the device to start the vehicle. This is illegal, but then again so is drinking and driving. To combat this many companies installed cameras on their devices to verify who is actually using the system. This will not affect those who share vehicles with this device installed with other family members, unless that family member is blowing into the device then you are driving the car.
Retests
In the event someone gets around the illegal fact and does manage to blow for your vehicle to start, there will be retests as you are driving. Many say these are dangerous and can cause collisions on the road. The truth is the vehicle will not automatically shut off immediately if the retest is failed. Warning lights will illuminate giving the driver enough time to safely pull to the side of the road before killing the vehicle. So a stalled engine in the middle of the interstate is not a concern, however an driver whose been drinking in the middle of an interstate should be a huge concern.
There are many reasons people can come up with for not wanting interlocking systems, but many are not true. There are many ways people will try to get around the devices, but the companies and manufacturers are catching on and adding preventative measures. Choose a reliable interlock device and a professional installer, refrain from drinking before driving and you should have no worries.