MONTGOMERY – Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) urges lawmakers to advance HB 381 by Representative Allen Farley. Lifesaving legislation of this type in other states has a proven track record to save lives, prevent injuries and stop repeat drunk driving offenses. HB 381 is scheduled for a February 5th committee hearing.
“MADD supports HB 381 as it will protect the residents of Alabama from drunk drivers,” said MADD
Jan Withers
National President Jan Withers. “Ignition interlocks are a key component of MADD’s Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving® and an effective countermeasure in our fight against drunk driving.”
There are currently 20 states that have similar all offender ignition interlock laws in place. For example, in New Mexico, Oregon, and Arizona, where similar laws are in place, drunk driving deaths have been reduced by 38, 42, 43 percent respectively.
Since 2011, ignition interlocks have been required for all repeat and first-time convicted drunk drivers with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .15 or greater. However, the law has not been implemented and drunk driving continues to be a problem in Alabama. Over two hundred and fifty lives were lost due to a drunk driving crash, representing 30 percent of all traffic fatalities in 2012. HB 381 will help to implement this existing interlock law and gives first-time offenders with a BAC of .08 to .14 the option of going on an ignition interlock six months or lieu of a 90-day license suspension.
Ignition interlocks are the most effective approach to stop DUI 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.
“Through the efforts of MADD, drunk driving is now socially unacceptable. Unfortunately, it is still tolerated,” said MADD National President Jan Withers. “HB 381 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,” continued Withers.
For more information on interlocks, please visit http://www.madd.org/drunk-
MEDIA RELEASE/MOTHERS AGAINST DRUNK DRIVING/CAROL RONIS
