Breath alcohol ignition interlock device
Encyclopedia
An ignition interlock device or breath alcohol ignition interlock device (IID and BAIID) is a mechanism, like a breathalyzer
, installed to a motor vehicle's dashboard. Before the vehicle's motor can be started, the driver first must exhale into the device; if the resultant breath-alcohol concentration analyzed result is greater than the programmed blood alcohol concentration—usually 0.02% or 0.04%, the device prevents the engine from being started.
At random times after the engine
has been started, the IID will require another breath sample. The purpose of this is to prevent a friend from breathing into the device, enabling the intoxicated person to get behind the wheel and drive away. If the breath sample isn't provided, or the sample exceeds the ignition interlock's preset blood alcohol level, the device will log the event, warn the driver and then start up an alarm (e.g., lights flashing, horn honking, etc.) until the ignition
is turned off, or a clean breath sample has been provided. A common misconception is that interlock devices will simply turn off the engine if alcohol is detected; this would, however, create an unsafe driving situation and expose interlock manufacturers to considerable liability.
-specific fuel cell
for a sensor. A fuel cell sensor is an electrochemical device in which alcohol undergoes a chemical oxidation reaction at a catalytic electrode surface (platinum
) to generate an Electric current
. This current is then measured and converted to an alcohol equivalent reading. Although fuel cell technology is not as accurate or reliable as infrared spectroscopy
technology used in evidentiary breathalyzer
s, they are cheaper and tend to be more specific for alcohol
.
The devices keep a record of the activity on the device and the interlocked vehicle's electrical system. This record, or log, is printed out or downloaded each time the device's sensors are calibrated, commonly at 30, 60, or 90-day intervals. Authorities may require periodic review of the log. If violations are detected, then additional sanctions can be implemented.
Periodic calibration
is performed using either a pressurized alcohol–gas mixture at a known alcohol concentration, or with an alcohol wet bath arrangement that contains a known alcohol solution. The costs of installation, maintenance and calibration are generally paid by the offender, and typically are about $75 per month .
In the United States, a list of federally approved IID devices is maintained by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
's NHTSA Conforming Products List.
Many countries are requiring the ignition interlock as a penalty for drivers convicted of driving under the influence, especially repeat offenders. Most U.S. states now permit judges to order the installation of an IID as a condition of probation; for repeat offenders, and for first offenders in some states, installation may be mandated by law. MADD
launched a highly publicized campaign advocating mandatory IID installation for all first offenders. Some politicians in Sweden
, Japan
, Canada
, the U.S. and other countries have called for such devices to be installed as standard equipment in all motor vehicles sold.
alternatives for drunken drivers.
California: If driving on a suspended license due to a DUI conviction, legally the court must impose an ignition interlock device requirement for up to a maximum of three years from the date of conviction. As of July 1, 2010 interlocks are required upon a DUI conviction in 4 counties; Los Angeles, Alameda, Sacramento and Tulare. -AB 91 creates a pilot program for select counties, such as Los Angeles County, that will require all drivers convicted of a DUI offense to install IIDs in their vehicles as a condition to receive restricted driving privileges.
-SB 598 shortens the amount of time certain repeat DUI offenders will have to wait before becoming eligible to apply for restricted California driving privileges. To receive the restricted license though, these drivers will be required to meet certain criteria, such as the installation of an IID in their vehicles.
Georgia: Upon conviction of a second DUI, the violator's license is suspended for no less than 18 months. During the final six months of this suspension the driver in question is required to have a working ignition interlock device installed in any vehicle that he or she intends to operate.
Massachusetts: Starting January 1, 2006, drivers that had a second or subsequent operating under the influence offense and are eligible for a hardship license or for license reinstatement, are required to have an Ignition Interlock Device attached to their motor vehicle, at their
own expense.
New Mexico: Ignition interlocks are required for at least one year for all first-time DWI offenders; subsequent offenses require longer periods of installation.
North Carolina: A conviction of Driving While Impaired with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.15 or more or another conviction within the past seven years will require an ignition interlock device to be installed on the vehicle.
Utah: Effective July 2, 2009 anyone convicted of a DUI, whether it be a first offense or a subsequent offense, will be required to have an ignition interlock device placed on their car. 18 Months for first time offense.
Arizona: Arizona mandates at least one year for all DUI offenses, even those not involving alcohol.
New York: As of 8/15/2010 NYS requires A person sentenced for Driving While Intoxicated have an ignition interlock device installed on any vehicle they own or operate, and the driver have an "ignition interlock" restriction added to their driver license.
Also, one offender filed a lawsuit claiming that he passed out and crashed when doing a rolling retest.
Ignition interlock devices have drawn criticism for possibly yielding false-positive results in much the same manner as traditional breathalyzer machines. The most common cause of such false-positives appears to be the existence of "mouth alcohol"—alcohol that is present in a person's mouth and has not yet had time to dissipate completely into the blood. Aside from traditional alcoholic beverages, mouth alcohol is often present in high quantities after a person ingests mouthwash, cough syrup, breath spray, or even salad dressing, all of which contain sizeable amounts of alcohol. There have also been numerous reports of false-positive results after a driver fills up at a gas station because the gasoline fumes register much the same way traditional alcohol does.
Breathalyzer
A breathalyzer or breathalyser is a device for estimating blood alcohol content from a breath sample...
, installed to a motor vehicle's dashboard. Before the vehicle's motor can be started, the driver first must exhale into the device; if the resultant breath-alcohol concentration analyzed result is greater than the programmed blood alcohol concentration—usually 0.02% or 0.04%, the device prevents the engine from being started.
At random times after the engine
Engine
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion. Heat engines, including internal combustion engines and external combustion engines burn a fuel to create heat which is then used to create motion...
has been started, the IID will require another breath sample. The purpose of this is to prevent a friend from breathing into the device, enabling the intoxicated person to get behind the wheel and drive away. If the breath sample isn't provided, or the sample exceeds the ignition interlock's preset blood alcohol level, the device will log the event, warn the driver and then start up an alarm (e.g., lights flashing, horn honking, etc.) until the ignition
Ignition system
An ignition system is a system for igniting a fuel-air mixture. Ignition systems are well known in the field of internal combustion engines such as those used in petrol engines used to power the majority of motor vehicles, but they are also used in many other applications such as in oil-fired and...
is turned off, or a clean breath sample has been provided. A common misconception is that interlock devices will simply turn off the engine if alcohol is detected; this would, however, create an unsafe driving situation and expose interlock manufacturers to considerable liability.
Design
Modern ignition interlock devices use an ethanolEthanol
Ethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid. It is a psychoactive drug and one of the oldest recreational drugs. Best known as the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, it is also used in thermometers, as a...
-specific fuel cell
Fuel cell
A fuel cell is a device that converts the chemical energy from a fuel into electricity through a chemical reaction with oxygen or another oxidizing agent. Hydrogen is the most common fuel, but hydrocarbons such as natural gas and alcohols like methanol are sometimes used...
for a sensor. A fuel cell sensor is an electrochemical device in which alcohol undergoes a chemical oxidation reaction at a catalytic electrode surface (platinum
Platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina del Pinto, which is literally translated into "little silver of the Pinto River." It is a dense, malleable, ductile, precious, gray-white transition metal...
) to generate an Electric current
Electric current
Electric current is a flow of electric charge through a medium.This charge is typically carried by moving electrons in a conductor such as wire...
. This current is then measured and converted to an alcohol equivalent reading. Although fuel cell technology is not as accurate or reliable as infrared spectroscopy
Infrared spectroscopy
Infrared spectroscopy is the spectroscopy that deals with the infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum, that is light with a longer wavelength and lower frequency than visible light. It covers a range of techniques, mostly based on absorption spectroscopy. As with all spectroscopic...
technology used in evidentiary breathalyzer
Breathalyzer
A breathalyzer or breathalyser is a device for estimating blood alcohol content from a breath sample...
s, they are cheaper and tend to be more specific for alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
.
The devices keep a record of the activity on the device and the interlocked vehicle's electrical system. This record, or log, is printed out or downloaded each time the device's sensors are calibrated, commonly at 30, 60, or 90-day intervals. Authorities may require periodic review of the log. If violations are detected, then additional sanctions can be implemented.
Periodic calibration
Calibration
Calibration is a comparison between measurements – one of known magnitude or correctness made or set with one device and another measurement made in as similar a way as possible with a second device....
is performed using either a pressurized alcohol–gas mixture at a known alcohol concentration, or with an alcohol wet bath arrangement that contains a known alcohol solution. The costs of installation, maintenance and calibration are generally paid by the offender, and typically are about $75 per month .
In the United States, a list of federally approved IID devices is maintained by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is an agency of the Executive Branch of the U.S. government, part of the Department of Transportation...
's NHTSA Conforming Products List.
Many countries are requiring the ignition interlock as a penalty for drivers convicted of driving under the influence, especially repeat offenders. Most U.S. states now permit judges to order the installation of an IID as a condition of probation; for repeat offenders, and for first offenders in some states, installation may be mandated by law. MADD
Mothers Against Drunk Driving
Mothers Against Drunk Driving is a non-profit organization in the United States that seeks to stop drunk driving, support those affected by drunk driving, prevent underage drinking, and overall push for stricter alcohol policy...
launched a highly publicized campaign advocating mandatory IID installation for all first offenders. Some politicians in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the U.S. and other countries have called for such devices to be installed as standard equipment in all motor vehicles sold.
USA
As of 2009, almost all 50 states have laws permitting the imposition of ignition-interlock devices as sentencingSentence (law)
In law, a sentence forms the final explicit act of a judge-ruled process, and also the symbolic principal act connected to his function. The sentence can generally involve a decree of imprisonment, a fine and/or other punishments against a defendant convicted of a crime...
alternatives for drunken drivers.
California: If driving on a suspended license due to a DUI conviction, legally the court must impose an ignition interlock device requirement for up to a maximum of three years from the date of conviction. As of July 1, 2010 interlocks are required upon a DUI conviction in 4 counties; Los Angeles, Alameda, Sacramento and Tulare. -AB 91 creates a pilot program for select counties, such as Los Angeles County, that will require all drivers convicted of a DUI offense to install IIDs in their vehicles as a condition to receive restricted driving privileges.
-SB 598 shortens the amount of time certain repeat DUI offenders will have to wait before becoming eligible to apply for restricted California driving privileges. To receive the restricted license though, these drivers will be required to meet certain criteria, such as the installation of an IID in their vehicles.
Georgia: Upon conviction of a second DUI, the violator's license is suspended for no less than 18 months. During the final six months of this suspension the driver in question is required to have a working ignition interlock device installed in any vehicle that he or she intends to operate.
Massachusetts: Starting January 1, 2006, drivers that had a second or subsequent operating under the influence offense and are eligible for a hardship license or for license reinstatement, are required to have an Ignition Interlock Device attached to their motor vehicle, at their
own expense.
New Mexico: Ignition interlocks are required for at least one year for all first-time DWI offenders; subsequent offenses require longer periods of installation.
North Carolina: A conviction of Driving While Impaired with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.15 or more or another conviction within the past seven years will require an ignition interlock device to be installed on the vehicle.
Utah: Effective July 2, 2009 anyone convicted of a DUI, whether it be a first offense or a subsequent offense, will be required to have an ignition interlock device placed on their car. 18 Months for first time offense.
Arizona: Arizona mandates at least one year for all DUI offenses, even those not involving alcohol.
New York: As of 8/15/2010 NYS requires A person sentenced for Driving While Intoxicated have an ignition interlock device installed on any vehicle they own or operate, and the driver have an "ignition interlock" restriction added to their driver license.
Criticism
A review of devices concluded, "The results of the study show that interlock works for some offenders in some contexts, but not for all offenders in all situations. More specifically, ignition interlock devices work best when they are installed, although there is also some evidence that judicial orders to install an interlock are effective for repeat DUI offenders, even when not all offenders comply and install a device. California’s administrative program, where repeat DUI offenders install an interlock device in order to obtain restricted driving privileges, is also associated with reductions in subsequent DUI incidents. One group for whom ignition interlock orders do not appear effective is first DUI offenders with high blood alcohol levels."Also, one offender filed a lawsuit claiming that he passed out and crashed when doing a rolling retest.
Ignition interlock devices have drawn criticism for possibly yielding false-positive results in much the same manner as traditional breathalyzer machines. The most common cause of such false-positives appears to be the existence of "mouth alcohol"—alcohol that is present in a person's mouth and has not yet had time to dissipate completely into the blood. Aside from traditional alcoholic beverages, mouth alcohol is often present in high quantities after a person ingests mouthwash, cough syrup, breath spray, or even salad dressing, all of which contain sizeable amounts of alcohol. There have also been numerous reports of false-positive results after a driver fills up at a gas station because the gasoline fumes register much the same way traditional alcohol does.