Ignition Interlock Legislation

While discussing his proposed legislation to force all first time DUI offenders to install ignition interlock devices onto their vehicles, Sen. John Rafferty, said, "This will prevent people who are pulled over and convicted of DUI from getting onto the highway again and be able to harm someone."

Currently, Kansas already has legislation regarding the ignition interlock and drunk driving convictions. Additionally, it has ignition interlock requirements even without a conviction, under administrative laws. An ignition interlock is a small handheld breath testing device that is installed into vehicle. It requires an individual to provide a sober breath sample before the car's ignition will activate. As you can imagine, manufacturers and installers of this device are heavily lobbying for such laws. They are set to make a fortune. They charge hefty monthly fees that people must pay to have such a device on their vehicle.

In additional to having to breath into the device to get the vehicle to start, random breath samples are also required periodically while the car is in motion. Failure to provide a clean sample will result in an alarm.

The Senator said he is optimistic that the bill he sponsored, Senate Bill 1184, will come before the full Senate in a couple of months.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) feel it won't be long before all new cars will come standard with alcohol detection systems. State executive director for MADD, Jan Baily said, "We're moving toward smart technology and while it can be an annoyance, drunk driving is a serious problem."