Drunk driving is no laughing matter. Drivers with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 or higher in the state of Illinois are considered alcohol- impaired by the law. Unfortunately, the threat of breaking the law does not prevent drunk driving. An average drunk driver has driven drunk 80 times before first arrest (Centers for Disease Control). The consequences of drunk driving affects more than the offender. One encounter with a drunk driver can shatter an entire family’s life. Not one life has to be affected by this. Drunk driving can be prevented. Ignition Interlock is a proven life saving device. Standardizing the Ignition Interlock on all motorized vehicles will protect the publics’ safety, reduce the number of repeat offenders,
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Of those 1,149 fatalities, 200 (17%) occurred in alcohol-impaired driving crashes (NCSA). Out of those 200 deaths, 121 (61%) were occupants of vehicles with drivers who had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 or higher and another 29 children (15%) were pedestrians or cyclist struck by drivers with a blood alcohol concentrate of 0.08 or higher (NCSA). These statistics clearly demonstrate the utility of mandatory Ignition Interlock systems on all vehicles sold in the United States. This device is a breath alcohol monitoring system that works with the vehicle’s ignition system. It tests for the presence of alcohol by forcing the driver to blow into the device for a blood alcohol measurement prior to starting the vehicle. If is below the state blood alcohol concentration, the vehicle will start; if it is over, the vehicle will not start. In many states it is mandatory to have this device installed after a Driving Under the Influence conviction. However, standardizing these devices on all motor vehicles will prevent a driver from even starting the car while intoxicated. Thus, such a bold move could protect the safety of the …show more content…
Mothers lose children, children lose parents. Laws are in place to prevent such tragedies, but let us be honest; those laws are frequently broken. According to National statistics, an average of 12,000 people die every year in Driving Under the Influence accidents (quitalcohol.com). Many cases are repeat offenders. The law did not prevent these lives from being taken. With proper education and preventative devices like the Ignition Interlock, the number of drunken driving fatalities can be significantly reduced or erased. Many lives could be saved, families preserved, and, overall, a vast reduction in money spent on all the related issues with this crime by simply preventing the event before it
Of those 1,149 fatalities, 200 (17%) occurred in alcohol-impaired driving crashes (NCSA). Out of those 200 deaths, 121 (61%) were occupants of vehicles with drivers who had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 or higher and another 29 children (15%) were pedestrians or cyclist struck by drivers with a blood alcohol concentrate of 0.08 or higher (NCSA). These statistics clearly demonstrate the utility of mandatory Ignition Interlock systems on all vehicles sold in the United States. This device is a breath alcohol monitoring system that works with the vehicle’s ignition system. It tests for the presence of alcohol by forcing the driver to blow into the device for a blood alcohol measurement prior to starting the vehicle. If is below the state blood alcohol concentration, the vehicle will start; if it is over, the vehicle will not start. In many states it is mandatory to have this device installed after a Driving Under the Influence conviction. However, standardizing these devices on all motor vehicles will prevent a driver from even starting the car while intoxicated. Thus, such a bold move could protect the safety of the …show more content…
Mothers lose children, children lose parents. Laws are in place to prevent such tragedies, but let us be honest; those laws are frequently broken. According to National statistics, an average of 12,000 people die every year in Driving Under the Influence accidents (quitalcohol.com). Many cases are repeat offenders. The law did not prevent these lives from being taken. With proper education and preventative devices like the Ignition Interlock, the number of drunken driving fatalities can be significantly reduced or erased. Many lives could be saved, families preserved, and, overall, a vast reduction in money spent on all the related issues with this crime by simply preventing the event before it