Mothers Against Drunk Driving praises Nassau County for their recent two-week sweep that resulted in the arrest of 25 convicted drunk drivers who were in violation of court-ordered ignition interlock requirements. The Nassau County District Attorney’s Office and the Nassau County Department of Probation are a stellar example of a successful coordinated effort to enforce lifesaving laws requiring convicted drunk drivers to prove they are sober before their car will start.
According to the CDC, ignition interlocks have been proven effective in reducing repeat drunk driving offenses by 67 percent. Unfortunately, less than a quarter of all drunk driving offenders nationwide get ignition interlock devices, either due to lack of a law requiring the device or failure in the implementation of all offender interlock laws.
Laws requiring ignition interlocks for all convicted drunk drivers are a critical component of MADD’s Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving®. The recently signed federal transportation bill, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21), fully endorsed MADD’s Campaign, in part by providing financial incentives to states that pass all-offender ignition interlock laws. Read the blog post about MAP-21 for more info.
Nassau County’s commitment to enforcing the state’s ignition interlock law will undoubtedly result in lives saved and injuries prevented, and MADD encourages other counties across the country to follow Nassau County’s lead, making sure that convicted drunk drivers are not endangering public safety by driving a vehicle without an interlock.
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