Repeat drunken drivers in Wisconsin could be required to install ignition interlock systems within the next year.
In a Public Safety Committee hearing Tuesday, state assembly members discussed a bill mandating all two-time offenders, as well as first time violators registering a blood alcohol content of .15 or higher, to install an ignition interlock system in their cars for one year.
An interlock device helps prevent drunken driving by measuring a driver's BAC prior to starting the ignition. If the driver's BAC is above the legal limit, the ignition will not start.
The bill requires drivers to purchase the $100 interlock system, and drivers would also pay the Department of Transportation $75 to $90 per month to cover monitoring fees.
Developed in response to the state's drunken driving problems, state Rep. Tony Staskunas, D-West Allis, and state Rep. Dean Kaufert, R-Neenah, the bill's authors, believe the interlock system will change drunken behavior.
""We need to change people's behavior in regards to drinking and driving,"" Kaufert said. ""Wisconsin has a culture of drinking, and I have problems of drinking sociably and responsibly, but I think when you drink you shouldn't get behind the wheel.""
Not new to the state, interlock systems are used for some drunken driving violators. However, lack of oversight and enforcement make the current system ineffective, Kaufert said.
The DOT would oversee the interlock systems, supervising installation of the device, monitoring monthly reports and determining punishment for violations.
Local law enforcement and special interest groups including Mothers Against Drunk Driving and the Tavern League have expressed support for the bill, with some calling for stricter policies.
""We would like to see ignition interlocks ordered for any offender of drunk driving, including the first offense,"" Lindsay Desormier, a MADD representative, said.
According to Staskunas, mandating interlocks for all drunken drivers would overwhelm the system. Additionally, the bill would lose support if it were applied to all convicted drivers.
Currently only four states, including New Mexico, Illinois, Louisiana and Arizona, enforce similar laws. Staskunas and Kaufert hope to see the bill go into effect by January 2010.
