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State Senate - State of Tennessee
Legislative Press Release
Senate Judiciary Committee debates bill to require drunk drivers with a high blood alcohol level to install ignition interlock devices
The pace quickened on Capitol Hill this week as committees considered a wide variety of bills and continued to review budget requests from departments and agencies of state governments. Among bills considered was one debated in the Senate Judiciary Committee that would require extreme drunk drivers to install an ignition interlock device. The proposal would apply to persons arrested with blood alcohol content (BAC) level of .15 or more, a level which is 385 times more likely to cause a crash.
Interlock devices are small pieces of equipment attached to the steering wheel of a car with a tube that the driver must breathe into in order to allow ignition to start. The current alcohol ignition interlock technology makes it easier for courts to require drunk drivers to utilize the device.
According to the Department of Safety, 3877 restricted driver's licenses were issued to people with DUI convictions in 2008, of which 1,163 were to offenders having a BAC level of .15 or higher. The bill aims to strengthen Tennessee's law against DUI offenders who register high levels of alcohol upon arrest. State law already requires persons who are convicted and have a prior conviction within the past five years to install an interlock device for a six month period at their own expense.
As of January, 2,743 Tennessee driver's license holders had an interlock restriction, while 580 license holders had an interlock device installed. Eight other states already have laws that require DUI offenders to install interlock devices if they register .15 or higher.
The National Transportation Safety Board has urged Tennessee to pass a more uniform and mandatory system for installation of interlock devices for those convicted of drunk driving. Action on the bill, Senate Bill 2965, was deferred until next week.
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