Section 39:4-50.16a - Findings, declarations relative to certain drunk driversThe Legislature finds and declares that:
a. State law has required repeat drunk drivers and drunk drivers with a high blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to install an ignition interlock device since January 2001, but installation of these devices is not mandatory for other first time offenders.b. Because a majority of drunk drivers, including first time offenders, often continue to drive with suspended licenses, ignition interlock devices are more effective in deterring drunk driving than license suspension.c. Ignition interlock devices are paid for by the offender and constitute a low cost solution to a dangerous and often fatal activity that imposes large social and economic costs on society. Studies indicate that the potential for interlock device programs to prevent alcohol-involved driving and alcohol-related crashes is most significant when the program is applied to a broader cross-section of offenders and a higher proportion of offenders are required to install the devices. To protect the public safety, states that currently do not require mandatory participation for all first time offenders should adopt strong interlock device programs to prevent future costly alcohol-related fatal crashes.d. For example, according to a recent national study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), state laws mandating interlock devices for drunk drivers reduced the number of drivers in fatal crashes with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 percent or higher by 16 percent compared to states with no interlock law, three percent when ignition interlock devices were required for repeat offenders, and eight percent when required for first time and repeat offenders.e. Reportedly, ignition interlock devices have prevented more than 73,740 attempts to drive with a BAC over the legal limit of 0.08 percent in this State over the past 11 years.f. Numerous organizations support requiring the use of ignition interlock devices by all convicted drunk drivers, including all first-time offenders, including: Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Advocates for Auto and Highway Safety, American Automobile Association, American Trucking Association, Auto Alliance, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, International Association of Chiefs of Police, National Academy of Sciences, National Football League, National Safety Council, and National Transportation Safety Board.
g. Therefore, it is fitting and proper to require all first time drunk driving offenders in this State, not just high BAC offenders, to install an ignition interlock device.Added by L. 2019, c. 248,s. 1, eff. 12/1/2019.