Ignition Interlock Devices (IID) give people who have been caught driving drunk the opportunity to keep their drivers license. This device is a small Breathalyzer machine that is installed into the car and attached to the ignition devices. If you blow into the device and your blood alcohol content (BAC) is above the legal limit of .08, the vehicle will not start.
Ever since Ricci’s Law was put into place nine years ago, named after a teenager who was killed by a drunk driver in 2006, judges have ordered people convicted more then once of a DWI or first offenders with a BAC of .15 or more to install the device.
According to the non-profit organization Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), IID’s have stopped 13,500 drivers from driving drunk last year. Since the devices became available twelve years ago in New Jersey, the devices have stopped 87,925 attempts to drive drunk.
On Thursday June 20, 2019, the state Legislature produced a bill mandating all DWI offenders to use IID’s passed the state Senate and the state Assembly. It is now in Gov. Phil Murphy’s hands to decide if the bill will become a law.
“By requiring this instead of a license suspension, first-time offenders can work towards moving on and learning from their mistake,” Sen. Nicholas Scutari D-Union, one of the bill’s sponsors said. “A loss of a license can ruin lives professionally and personally, while an IID will allow individuals to continue to live their lives while driving sober behind the wheel.”
The bill will require first time offenders with a BAC of 0.08-0.10% to have a three month installation of an IID. Offenders with a BAC above 0.10-0.15% will have a seven to twelve month installation. Any first time offenders who have a BAC above 0.15% will have their license suspended for four to six months and have an IID after the suspension for nine to fifteen months.
If you or someone you love has been charged with a DWI, careless driving or any other traffic violation or crime in Bergen (Hackensack), Passaic (Paterson) and Hudson (Jersey City) Counties, Frank T. Luciano is ready to discuss your case and a defense strategy to limit your legal jeopardy. To get started with an initial consultation, contact him immediately at 973-471-0004.