The Michigan state senate approved a measure last week to require the installation of an ingintion interlock device in cases of a 1st offense OWI conviction with a BAC result of .15 or higher. The house may act on this proposal to enact it into law next week in the lame duck session of the legislature.
An ignition interlock device is a system that requires a clean, alcohol-free breath sample for a car to start. This “rolling breathalyzer” system is a common penalty in Michigan Second Offense OWI convictions.
Critics argue that such systems are easy to thwart, by driving a vehicle without an IID, or having someone else provide a breath sample. However, both such examples would be additional criminal offenses under Michigan OWI laws. And newer systems are able to take a photo of the person providing the sample at the time of the test, to insure that it is the required licensee passing this test.
High BAC laws that require ignition interlock devices as a condition of license reinstatement are becoming more commonplace nationwide. Many experts believe an IID to be both more effective at reducing drunk driving and more fair than license suspensions in cases of people with multiple OWI offenses.
According to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than half of all alcohol related deaths are in cases where the driver records a .15 or higher BAC. The legal limit for Blood Alcohol Content nationwide is .08%.
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If you are accused of drunk driving, OWI, or any other criminal offense in Michigan, please contact our attorneys to take advantage of out free criminal case evaluation offer. Just becase you are arrested doesn’t mean you are guilty.
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