NCJ Number
123761
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 57 Issue: 4 Dated: (April 1990) Pages: 54-55
Date Published
1990
Length
2 pages
Annotation
Convinced that the ignition interlock system helps keep drunk drivers off the road, some judges are successfully using the technology as part of sentencing with convicted drunk drivers.
Abstract
The ignition interlock device physically prevents an intoxicated driver from starting the car by shutting down the electrical system. Over time it can become an important behavior modification tool that discourages the driver from drinking at all. Also, it can help reduce the jail population of inmates awaiting trial without compromising the safety of the public and the needs of the law enforcement community. To date, nearly 5,000 driving while intoxicated (DWI) offenders have been ordered to enroll in the Guardian Interlock Responsible Driver Program (Texas) and, of these, less than two percent have been rearrested for drunk driving while on the program. The successful combination of jail sentencing with work release privileges, mandatory alcohol counseling and rehabilitation programs, and the deterrent effect of the ignition interlock device has given Texas judicial and law enforcement officials hope that they can more effectively deal with the problem of the DWI offender.