MADD Pushing for Ignition Interlock Devices Legislation in Tennessee
Currently, if convicted of a DUI you can be required to have an Ignition Interlock Device (IID) installed in your vehicle after more than one offense. If Mothers Against Drunk Driving get their way, however, people who refuse to take a breathalyzer will also be required to use the device.
Charged with a crime in Tennessee? Please call (800) 897-3936.
As the stands, if you refuse to take a breath test, you can still be convicted of DUI, but your penalties for what is known as a “refusal conviction” are typically less strict. According to this report from My Fox Memphis, there is a 73% refusal rate in areas of the state where there are special DUI prosecutors.
Understandably, MADD and other advocates of such Ignition Interlock legislation want the roads to be safer. They want to prevent drunk driving deaths. But, despite the allegations from this Fox report that IID’s reduce drunk driving deaths, their actual impact varies across the country.
An ignition interlock device is a machine that is installed in your vehicle (at your expense). It requires the owner of the vehicle to take a breath test before being able to start the engine. These machines are often wrought with mechanical problems and misreads.
Under the current laws, a DUI conviction carries plenty of repercussions as it is. Even if it’s your first conviction, you can face up to a year in jail, 1 year driver’s license revocation, fines reaching $1500, drug/alcohol assessments, and community service.
As your prior convictions mount, so do the potential penalties. If this is your third offense, you will likely face a minimum of 120 days in jail.
When up against DUI charges and a prosecutor that wants drunk drivers off the road, you need an experienced DUI defense attorney. Contact our offices today for a consultation and some free legal advice.
