MADD Encourages Ohio Legislature to Make Interlocks Part of Lifesaving DUI Bill

COLUMBUS, Ohio, May. 09 /PRNewswire/ --

Proposed law would be most effective with proven tool to prevent drunk driving

COLUMBUS, Ohio, May 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) testified yesterday morning before Ohio's House Committee for Criminal Justice in support of lifesaving alcohol ignition interlocks. The Committee was considering Senate Bill 17, introduced by Senator Timothy Grendell (R-Chesterland) in 2007. This bill passed the Senate and, if signed into law, would strengthen Ohio's DUI laws. However, MADD believes there is a critical component missing -- a required period of alcohol ignition interlock use for all convicted drunk drivers.)

"We applaud Senator Grendell for toughening our state's laws, but we believe his efforts to reduce drunk driving cannot be complete without including interlocks," said Doug Scoles, executive director of MADD Ohio. "Alcohol ignition interlocks are proven to save lives in ways that license revocation, jail time, higher insurance premiums and other preventative measures cannot."

An alcohol ignition interlock is a breath test device linked to a vehicle's ignition system. Interlocks are used as a condition of probation for convicted drunk drivers after their driver's licenses have been reinstated. When a convicted drunk driver wishes to start his or her vehicle, he or she must first blow into the device, but the vehicle will not start if driver has alcohol in his or her system.

In Ohio alone, there are 147,000 people who have been convicted of driving under the influence three or more times. More 33,000 of those people have five or more DUI convictions. And research shows that people convicted of drunk driving for the first time have driven drunk more than 87 times before their first arrest.

Studies have shown alcohol ignition interlocks to be up to 90 percent effective in keeping convicted drunk drivers from recommitting the crime, as long as the interlock is installed on the vehicle. Because of their effectiveness, the devices have the potential to save up to 4,000 lives now lost in repeat drunk driving crashes annually.

"Until Ohio's laws require ignition interlocks as a condition of license reinstatement, Ohioans will continue sharing the road with thousands of convicted drunk drivers each time they back out of their driveways," said Scoles. "We need to do more to protect our friends, family and neighbors."

MADD believes the tools are now at hand to eliminate drunk driving from the United States. The Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving, launched in November 2006, has four elements: intensive, high-visibility law enforcement, full implementation of alcohol ignition interlocks for all convicted drunk drivers, development of advanced vehicle technologies to prevent drunk driving and grassroots support led by MADD and its 400+ affiliates, to make the elimination of drunk driving a reality.

MADD's mission is to stop drunk driving, support the victims of this violent crime and prevent underage drinking. MADD is a 501 (c) (3) charity with 2 million members and supporters nationwide. Founded in 1980, MADD has helped save more than 330,000 lives. For more information, visit >.

CONTACT:

Doug Scoles, MADD Ohio

State Executive Director

(614) 885-6233| doug.scoles@madd.org