While the number of people who die in alcohol-related car crashes has been decreasing significantly since the 1980s, it still remains a large issue today. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly 11,000 people in the United States died in alcohol-related car accidents in 2017. In California alone, there were 3,602 deaths. In an effort to reduce that number, a new law was passed and went into effect at the beginning of the year that requires both first-time and repeat DUI offenders to install a breath-alcohol ignition interlock device into their vehicle.
SB 1046 Requires Ignition Interlock Installation
According to the new bill, which went into effect Jan. 1, 2019, first-time DUI offenders will now have to choose between:
- Six months of full driving privileges with an ignition interlock device installed on their vehicle, or
- A restricted driving permit for one year with no ignition interlock device.
If you are a first-time offender and you cause injury to another person, you have no choice but to have an ignition interlock device installed on your vehicle for one year.
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