Is this device the key to stopping DUIs?

By Susan Thurston, tbt* Staff Writer
Published December 7, 2007

Right now, DUI offenders face an expensive list of consequences, from court costs to traffic school to attorney fees. For repeat offenders or those with a high blood-alcohol level, factor in another $67 a month for an alcohol-sensing device.

Sounds harsh? Those devoted to reducing drunken driving want the penalties even tougher.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving and other groups want ignition interlock devices mandatory for all first-time DUI offenders. The devices are installed in cars to stop motorists from driving drunk.

"We think it's fair for everyone," said Don Murray, head of Florida's MADD. "We know drivers will continue to drive just to survive. With an interlock device and a restricted license, you can still drive."

The devices require drivers to blow into them every time they want to start the vehicle. If the device detects alcohol, the car will not start. Once on the road, drivers also must stop periodically to blow into the device.

State Rep. David Simmons, R-Altamonte Springs, introduced a bill last year that would have tightened the interlock requirements, in place since 2002. The bill died in the Senate, but Simmons plans to reintroduce it. In October, state Sen. Stephen Wise, R-Jacksonville, filed a bill requiring a device for first-time offenders who blow between 0.15 and 0.2.

Statewide, about 5,100 people have interlock devices on their cars. In addition to repeat offenders, the device is required for first-timers with a blood-alcohol level over 0.2 or who have a minor in the car at the time of their arrest.

Ashley Scarborough falls in the high blood-alcohol level category. She was arrested after blowing 0.22 outside a Spring Hill restaurant in October 2005. The incident cost her time from work and time in jail. Every month, she pays $67 for a ignition device.

Part of her is grateful.

"What if it had been someone else and me and my daughter had been in the car and got hit?" said Scarborough, 23, of Port Richey. "It really did ruin my life, but the way it turned out, it could have been a lot worse."

Having the device in her car is both embarrassing and effective. She cringes when a motorist spots her blowing into it and dreads giving people rides.

"I hate it. It's a pain. But I think it's a good thing," she said. "You couldn't hand me a million dollars to get back in my car with a beer."

Depending the conviction, drivers must have the devices for up to six months to more than two years. Some people opt to keep them on longer, fearing they might revert to their old ways.

Eventually, the devices could be available as a factory-fitted car option. Volvo launched it this summer on certain models in Europe. A green light means go, a red light means the car won't start, leaving no room for interpretation.

"It doesn't judge you at all. It just tells you what it is," said Terry Lynch, project manager for Interlock Group of Florida, a state contractor in charge of installing the devices for the northern half of the state. "It tells the story of what you do. That's why it works."

[Last modified December 6, 2007, 09:17:02]