State lawmakers in Tennessee recently proposed a law that would make ignition interlock devices mandatory for some folks convicted of DUI.
Tony Shipley, a Tennessee state representative, is one of the main proponents of the bill. He and other lawmakers believe that this law would make Tennessee roads safer.
Ignition interlock devices require the driver of a vehicle to take a test similar to a breath test by blowing into the device. The device then calculates the BAC (blood alcohol content) of the driver’s breath. If the BAC level of the driver is too high, the vehicle won’t start.
“This potential law is a positive move to help all citizens of Tennessee,” said Tennessee DUI attorney and 1800duilaws.com affiliate Marcos Garza. It is a meaningful approach to ensuring that Tennessee roads are safer for drivers, and it allows folks who have made regrettable mistakes to move on with their lives and continue to work.”
Under the proposed law, the IID (ignition interlock device) would not be required for all of those convicted of DUI in Tennessee. It will, however, be a requirement for those convicted of a first-time DUI with a BAC level of .15% or more. (The legal limit is .08% in Tennessee.) In addition, someone convicted of DUI with a minor in the vehicle and those drivers who refuse to take a breath test or blood test at the time of the DUI arrest will be required to have an IID installed in their vehicles.
Tennessee would not be the first state to pass such a bill, if it, indeed, passes. Several other states currently have laws that mandate ignition interlock devices for some drivers convicted of DUI.
