Ignition interlock device (Photo: Andrew Beckett)
A new report shows Wisconsin led the country last year, in the number of times convicted drunk drivers were blocked from starting their vehicles because of an ignition interlock.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving found that it happened over 37,000 times, from December of 2015 to December of last year. California was second, at nearly 36,000. The group says it gathered the data from 11 interlock companies.
MADD spokesman Frank Harris says the report shows that the state’s law is working, but it also highlights the problem with drunk driving in Wisconsin. He says without ignition interlocks, people may have driven drunk another 37,000 times.
Under state law, first-time drunk drivers with a blood-alcohol level of at least 0.15 need to get an interlock device installed in their vehicle, along with all repeat offenders.
WHBY