Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Wednesday, June 8th, 2011
Using an ignition interlock can definitely be a hassle when you’re on the go, but if you follow these simple pointers, you can get your car started and be on your way!
Make Sure There’s No Trace of Alcohol.
We all know that alcohol doesn’t just exist in alcoholic beverages. Cold medicines, mouthwashes, and even some foods contain tiny traces of alcohol that can give the ignition interlock a false read. If you have eaten anything or used a mouthwash that contains alcohol in it, be sure to wait about 15 minutes if you want to start your car. Also, it is a good idea to rinse your mouth out with water. For a list of mouthwashes that contain no alcohol, check out this list.
Remember the Blow-Hum Technique.
If you’re in a rush, it may be easy to forget that you need to blow into the ignition interlock in a very specific way. Most people call it the Blow-Hum Technique. It’s a good idea to practice beforehand, so when you’re on the go, you don’t need to waste any time trying to blow into the interlock correctly.
Prepare for Rolling Retests.
Think about how long your drive is going to take to predetermine when the device will ask for a rolling retest. A responsible IID user will not let the rolling retests sneak up on them. When it is time to take a retest, you definitely don’t want to be caught off guard. You don’t want to panic while on the road and you should be ready to pull over if need be. Above all, be cognizant of your IID not just when you start your car but when you are on the road as well.
If you follow these tips, you will likely not run into any difficulty with your ignition interlock.
Tags: DUI arrest, DUI laws, ignition interlock, rolling retest
Posted in California, Connecticut, Nationwide, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Uncategorized | Comments Off
Monday, May 23rd, 2011
428,309,224- Number of alcohol-free starts, recorded by Smart Start
6,127,672 – Number of Alcohol starts prevented, recorded by Smart Start
1,000,000 – Number of vehicles with an ignition interlock if all states mandate the use of ignition interlock devices after a DUI arrest
150,000 – Number of DUI offenders within states that require mandatory car breathalyzers in their vehicles
10,000 – Number of lives purported by Consumer Affairs that could be saved if ignition interlocks were required by all 50 states
65 – Percent of alcohol violations reduced by repeat offenders with ignition interlock
40 – Percent of annual deaths caused by drinking and driving
13 – Number of states with mandatory ignition interlock laws
3 – Number of dollars a day a person would spend by installing an ignition interlock
2 –Number of states with no ignition interlock law (Alabama and South Dakota)
0 – Percent chance you’ll be arrested for another DUI if you install an ignition interlock
Tags: DUI arrests, DUI deaths, DUI laws, ignition interlock, ignition interlock laws
Posted in California, Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, Nationwide, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Uncategorized | Comments Off
Thursday, May 12th, 2011
It seems as if year after year, more states are adopting a mandatory ignition interlock law to punish drunk drivers and prevent future tragedies.
Nebraska is the latest state to enact mandatory ignition interlock laws. Governor Chris Gregoire signed House Bill 1789 into law the other day that will require people charged with negligent driving in the first degree to install an interlock. People with a DUI charge on their record who later get charged with wreckless driving will also have to install an interlock.
“With this legislation, we’ll get enough of these ignition interlock devices into the universe of drunk drivers’ cars to show that it is really one of the best options to reduce the carnage on our highways,” states representative Roger Goodman, who has been heading the campaign for House Bill 1789.
Time can only tell if this legislation will improve the rate of drunk drivers in Nebraska. However, according to the statistics of other states, it seems to be Nebraska is headed in the right direction.
Tags: drunk driving, DUI laws, Governor Chris Gregoire, ignition interlock
Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off
Tuesday, April 19th, 2011
Poor Nicolas Cage. After being a box office punch line, his reputation didn’t fare better after an arrest this weekend for, among other things, being drunk in public. Apparently, a similar incident happened in March, although no charges were pressed.
This made me wonder about the proper punishments for drunken disorderly. Walking around drunk is a threat to everyone’s safety. Are there proper circumstances where an ignition interlock can be used to help people after a drunk in public charge?
Ignition interlocks have drastically reduced the DUI recidivism rate and have been a resourceful tool for people who are trying to cut down on their drinking. If someone has a problem with drinking, and even though they didn’t get charged with a DUI, voluntarily installing an ignition interlock in their car may assist them as they change their habits.
However, installing an interlock without a DUI charge may be a hassle for some people. It may be too harsh a punishment for people who just got a drunken disorderly.
What do you think?
Tags: alcoholism, celebrity, drunk in public, ignition interlock, Nicolas Cage
Posted in California, Connecticut, Maryland, Nationwide, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Uncategorized | Comments Off
Wednesday, April 13th, 2011
The Pew Center on the States found that the recidivism rate amongst inmates in state prisons remained stagnant in the past few years, despite the government’s efforts to reduce the number of people in prisons. According to the study, four out of every ten offenders return to state prison within three years.
I am no expert on the effectiveness of the prison system, but I feel like I can conclude that there is something not working within the prison system. Why isn’t it working? What is the government doing to change this system?
I only work with people who have been in a DUI, so I can only speak for that type of criminal defense. From what I read, ignition interlocks have reduced repeat drunk driving arrests by 67% in the states that have required DUI offenders to have one. That is a significant number of reduced DUI arrests! Furthermore, jail is not even involved and the offender can essentially carry out his or her daily responsibilities (driving work, picking up kids, etc.).
What do you think this means for the current prison system? If the rest of the country sees the effectiveness if an ignition interlock on repeat drunk drivers, how do you think lawmakers will use this data to change the penalties for other offenses?
Tags: DUI arrest, DUI laws, ignition interlock device, jail, recidivism
Posted in California, Connecticut, Maryland, Nationwide, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Uncategorized | Comments Off
Wednesday, April 13th, 2011
The Seattle Times reported today that Timothy F. Murphy, the commanding officer at the naval air station, Whidbey Island, has been relieved of his duties because he got arrested for a DUI over the weekend.
Although Commander Murphy is a public official, people still face scrutiny on their own levels at the workplace when they are arrested for a DUI. It can be very difficult and uncomfortable if your colleagues found out about your situation, let alone your boss. Here are some things to remember:
Do not have to talk about your DUI arrest if you don’t want to. Unless you have to legally provide information to save your job, this is your own personal and private business and no one else’s.
Prove that you are responsible. For a lot of people, a DUI arrest is a one-time mistake. Yes, this one time you make an irresponsible mistake. However, this does not mean you should continue down a path of further irresponsibility.
Pay the consequences that you feel you deserve to pay. Install your ignition interlock. Attend those alcohol classes; get them out of the way. Show people that you are strong enough to take responsibility for your actions and you may find that your coworkers will respect you even more.
Tags: DUI, DUI arrest, ignition interlock, workplace
Posted in California, Connecticut, Maryland, Nationwide, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Uncategorized | Comments Off
Monday, April 11th, 2011
Despite a massive amount of disapproval from senators, Apple has approved the app, “DUI Dodger”. “DUI Dodger” is an app that lets people know where sobriety checkpoints will be located so they can avoid driving by those locations. Recently, this app struck huge controversy as many people believed it would allow people to get away with drinking and driving.
However, even though the app does locate sobriety checkpoints and allows users to add where other checkpoints may be, it also includes a BAC calculator and a field sobriety test simulator, where users can see if they can walk in a straight line. There is also a way to access your contacts to find a designated driver.
In terms of the world of an ignition interlock user, while the “DUI Dodger” may seem like an effective app, it should not be used instead of an ignition interlock, especially if you’ve been required to install one. Although your chances may improve of not getting pulled over with this app, it doesn’t mean you will never get caught. If you’ve been required to install an ignition interlock, make an appointment today.
Tags: apps, DUI laws, ignition interlock, smartpoint, sobriety checkpoint
Posted in California, Connecticut, Maryland, Nationwide, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Thursday, April 7th, 2011
A month ago, you may have heard The ROADS SAFE Act tossed around in the news here and there. You probably have a lot of questions. What does it mean for someone who has been convicted of a DUI? How will this affect regular drivers? How will this affect taxpayers?
The ROADS SAFE Act is a bill presented by Senator Tom Udall (D, NM) and Senator Bob Corker (R, TN). It stands for The Research of Alcohol Detection Systems for Stopping Alcohol-related Fatalities Everywhere. The proposed bill would grant 12 million dollars the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety (DADSS) for the next five years. DADSS is a program that is run by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and other organizations. DADSS will use the funding to research the idea of putting an ignition interlock type device in all vehicles.
I think it is important to understand that this proposed act is not a law that will soon require all cars to come equipped with an ignition interlock. This bill is an act to allow DADSS to research the possibility of creating vehicles with ignition interlocks installed. Even if there were to be a law proposed requiring vehicles to come equipped for ignition interlocks, it would be years from now when that proposal would even be discussed.
Tags: DADSS, ignition interlock, NHSA, ROADS SAFE act, ultimate blog challenge
Posted in California, Connecticut, Maryland, Nationwide, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Uncategorized | Comments Off
Thursday, March 17th, 2011
Want to know how the police celebrate St. Patrick’s Day?
Well, you shouldn’t.
Here’s a list of some checkpoints:
Ohio
Franklin County: Cemetery Road east of Leap Road.
Columbus Division: Hilliard-Rome Road east of Roberts Road.
9pm to 3 am
Pennsylvania
Checkpoint in York County and Lancaster County
6 pm to 6 am
Southeastern Arizona
Checkpoint in Cochise County
Time undisclosed
California
Checkpoints and 20 saturation patrols in Contra Costa cities – time undisclosed
Saturation patrols in Kern County, checkpoint in Bakersfield – time undisclosed
Roving Saturation patrols in Tehama County (Redding, Anderson, Shasta Lake)
Checkpoint in an undisclosed location in San Francisco
Maryland
Checkpoint and addition DUI patrols in College Park – time undisclosed
New Jersey
Roving patrols in Evesham and Washington Township
Checkpoints in Gloucester Townships and Pennsauken
Tags: CA DUI checkpoints, DUI checkpoints, DUI laws, sobriety checkpoints, St. Patrick's Day
Posted in New Jersey, Uncategorized | Comments Off
