IGNITION INTERLOCK
Missouri has recently passed legislation that has made life
a lot tougher for Missouri drivers who plead guilty or are
sentenced for a second or greater DWI or BAC offense. Missouri
courts used to have a lot more discretion in the terms of
Probation a driver was given if they plead guilty to a DWI
or BAC charge in Missouri, even when it was not their first
such offense.
Under RSMo. 577.600 Missouri Courts are now required to give
any driver who pleads guilty to a second or greater DWI or
BAC charge what is called ignition interlock. This means any
court granting Limited Driving Privileges to any person who
is found guilty or pleads guilty to a second or subsequent
DWI or BAC SHALL REQUIRE the use of ignition interlock in
all vehicles operated by the person as a required condition
of the limited driving privilege for a period of not less
than one month.
Ignition interlock is basically a breath testing device installed
on the dashboard of all vehicles the driver owns in Missouri
where ignition interlock is ordered, which tests the driver's
breath for alcohol. If any alcohol is detected, the car will
not operate. Many ignition interlock devices will require
the driver to keep blowing into the device at certain intervals
to keep the vehicle operating.
To operate a vehicle which has ignition interlock installed,
a driver's blood-alcohol level usually must be below 0.025
percent - less than a quarter of the legal limit - to keep
the car running, depending on the type of device installed.
After three failed attempts for positive alcohol tests resulting
in vehicle lockouts, the driver must pay to have the car taken
to a certified service center in order to have the system
reset.
One can easily imagine that being forced to have an ignition
interlock device placed in prominent view in every one of
there vehicles will end most professional jobs. Imagine having
to blow into a breath tube while operating your vehicle with
a client or anyone else in the car with you!
Perhaps the biggest problem with ignition interlock is the
high degree of false positives that are resulted. If you think
the Intoxilyzer 5000 or the Datamaster the police use for
breath testing gives many bad results, it is minor compared
to the margin for error on many ignition interlock devices.
Don't even think about eating spicy foods or any other item
that is known to cause false positives in breath testing devices.
When facing any DWI or BAC charge in Missouri, especially
when you have prior offenses, it is imperative that
you seek competent counsel to help avoid such harsh penalties
being imposed upon you.
