WA
ME
MT
ND
MN
VT
OR
.16 BAC
NH
WI
ID
NY
MA CT
SD
MI
WY
.17 BAC
IA
PA
NJ
NE
.10 BAC
NV
OH
IN
DC
DE
IL
UT
MD
CA
CO
VA WV
KS
MO
KY
NC
TN
OK
AZ
AR
SC
NM
MS AL GA
LA
TX
FL
AK
HI
Revised Aug. 15, 2017
IGNITION INTERLOCKS FOR ALL OFFENDERS
MADD launched its Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving® in 2006 to push the nation toward a day when there will be No More Victims ® of this violent crime. The Campaign’s three-pronged approach emphasizes high-visibility law enforcement, development of advanced vehicle technology to passively detect if a driver is drunk, and passing laws in every state to require all drunk driving offenders to install ignition interlocks. Combined with enforcement efforts, ignition interlocks are the best-proven countermeasure available to stop drunk driving. Today, 25 states require ignition interlocks for all offenders, and every state in the nation has an ignition interlock law on the books. In addition to the 25 states with all-offender interlock laws, 14 other states require ignition interlocks for first-time offenders with a BAC of .15 or greater. Only a handful of states reserve interlocks only for repeat offenders: Pennsylvania, Georgia and Idaho. Other states require interlocks for repeat offenders but allow judges the option to order the devices for first-time offenders too: Montana, Indiana and Ohio. However, interlocks are rarely, if ever, used for first-time offenders in these states.
driving fatalities. For example, drunk driving fatalities have decreased by 50 percent in Arizona since its law passed in 2007. Drunk driving fatalities in West Virginia have dropped 40 percent since 2008, and other states, such as Oregon, Washington and Hawaii have experienced reductions of 25 to 33 percent. Ignition interlocks not only protect the public and would-be drivers from the immediate risk of drunk driving, they also help rehabilitate the offender as he or she learns sober driving. The devices complement other rehabilitative programs by ensuring drivers remain sober when driving to and from treatment and while carrying out their daily responsibilities for family, work and/or school. This cannot be accomplished by simply revoking driving privileges. The public supports ignition interlocks for all arrested drunk drivers. Three surveys indicate strong public support of ignition interlocks for all convicted drunk drivers: • 88 percent (Center for Excellence in Rural Safety) • 84 percent (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) • 76 percent (American Automobile Association) • 69 percent (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
States that require ignition interlocks for all offenders have experienced significant reductions in drunk
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