Every person convicted of drunken driving in Ohio would have to install a device that tests their sobriety every time they take the wheel, under legislation being pushed by lawmakers and traffic-safety advocates.
Christopher Hart, the acting chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, joined other supporters of ignition interlock devices at a news conference Thursday to urge passage of “Annie’s Law,” which is currently stalled in a legislative committee.
If the measure passes, Ohio would be the 25th state in the nation to require interlock devices for anyone convicted of drunken driving. First-time offenders would have to use the interlock for at least six months under the bill; the requirement would also apply to those who refuse a Breathalyzer test.
Currently, only repeat offenders are required to install interlocks, which cost as much as $100 per month.
Before starting their vehicles, offenders must blow into the interlock devices and register a blood-alcohol content below 0.025, said Elizabeth Fink, public policy liaison for LifeSafer, a Blue Ash, Ohio-based ignition interlock company. If the driver fails the test three times in a row, the engine locks up.
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