Explanation of the Georgia Ignition Interlock Device
Many people have heard of an ignition interlock device, but what is it? To put it simply, this is a machine that was programmed to check for alcohol on a driver’s breath. The idea behind this smart little system is to prevent someone who is considered an “at risk” drunk driver from driving on the roads with alcohol in his or her system.
How it works
The machine will require a driver to blow into an alcohol sensor unit. Located on a vehicle’s dashboard, this small device will detect any amount of alcohol on a person’s breath. If the alcohol sensor unit does detect alcohol on a person’s breath, it will stop the vehicle from being able to start. Usually, the unit is set at a preset level in the range of .02% to .04% blood alcohol content. Georgia’s legal limit is .08%, so it is well below that limit.
If the unit does not detect alcohol at all, or if it detects it at a level lower than its settings, it will allow the driver to start the vehicle. However, the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration require that the machines that meet their standards must also require a driver to breath into the unit at allotted intervals after the vehicle has been started. This is called a running or rolling test and it was basically set up to prevent another person from blowing into the unit to start the vehicle for the driver.
For those that have been ordered by the courts to have one of these machines installed in their vehicle(s), the driver must pay the cost of installation as well as the maintenance of the machine, which requires it to be monitored every 30 to 60 days. Generally, the machine costs a person $60 a month. Sometimes the court will use the ignition interlock device as a way to give someone their freedom to drive, instead of facing a license suspension.
The ignition interlock device has a few imperfections, but for the most part it seems to be a win-win situation. Taxpayers don’t need to bear the burden of paying for the devices because it is left up to the driver. The courts like this system because it can prevent someone from drinking and driving and most offenders would prefer this as an alternative to losing their driving privileges.
