When you’re driving down the road at 45 miles per hour and you hear the beep go off for your rolling retest you automatically grab the device and blow and hum just to make the thing shut up (it is very loud).

As you do this for months on end, you have to wonder - is this safe? And more importantly: is this really working?

Technically, you’re supposed to pull over to the side of the road to use the IID, but I can’t imagine anybody takes that much time to do it.

But is it effective?

In my own experiences, it did stop me from driving with alcohol in my system - if I knew I was going to end up having a few drinks, I’d grab a lyft and leave my car behind, because I didn’t want to have my car stuck somewhere where I couldn’t operate it.

But does it teach you anything?

The argument is that the Ignition Interlock teaches you to not drink and drive but not allowing it. I mostly learned to resent the damn thing going off and having to take a huge breath to blow into it (I think I did increase my lung capacity, though).

If you think that it doesn’t work, well, the California DMV, who forces the thing on you, released a study that agrees with you…

The results of this outcome study clearly show that IIDs are not effective in reducing DUI convictions or incidents for first DUI offenders, even those with high BACs at arrest. While their high blood alcohol levels suggest that they are an alcohol-dependent population, ignition interlock does not appear to be the answer to reducing their drinking and driving risk. This conclusion finds support in a study that interviewed drivers, and found that first offenders were more hostile to interlocks and regarded them as less useful, compared to repeat offenders (Baker, 1988). Because there is no evidence that interlocks are an effective traffic safety measure for first DUI offenders, the use of the devices EFFECTIVENESS OF IGNITION INTERLOCK IN CA 19 should not be emphasized, even for those first offenders with high BACs at the time of arrest, as is currently done in California Vehicle Code (CVC) Section 23575 (a)(1).

It's frustrating, for sure, but what can you do?

Just get through it, and move on.

Tags: Breathalyzer, Driving Suspension, IID