 Report shows success of DWI/Sobriety Court Ignition Interlock Program in MI
A new
research report evaluating Michigan’s program to prevent repeat drunk driving by
chronic offenders through the use of ignition interlocks concludes that the
devices, when used in conjunction with a Sobriety Court program, contribute to
significantly better success rates among participants.
Offenders
participating in the state’s DWI/Sobriety Courts without the use of interlocks
were found to have three times greater odds of failing out of Sobriety Court
than those ordered by the court to use the devices.
An
ignition interlock device connects with a motor vehicle's ignition and other
control systems. The interlock device measures the driver's bodily alcohol
content through their breath and keeps the vehicle from starting if the Blood
Alcohol Content is 0.025 or higher. The device also will ask for random retests
while the person is driving.
The
report, commissioned by the Michigan Association of Treatment Court
Professionals (MATCP) to evaluate the first five years of the DWI/Sobriety Court
Ignition Interlock Program, was announced by Secretary of State Ruth Johnson,
judges and legislators at a news conference as part of Alcohol Awareness Month
in Lansing on April 20. A program graduate was also in attendance to share his
success story.
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A 30-year-old Detroit woman who says she lost her job for repeatedly being late to work because the mechanic who was supposed to fix her Jeep instead damaged it further says her story should prompt others to make sure the facility they’re using is licensed.
 The story illustrates the risk consumers can face when trusting mechanics or facilities that are not licensed or regulated, Secretary Johnson said on April 14 in announcing that nine unlicensed auto repair facilities are now closed for business in Michigan. The move is part of an investigative crack down dubbed “Operation Torque Wrench” to tighten enforcement on illegal shops.
“Unlicensed auto repair shops and uncertified mechanics pose a serious threat to motorists,” Johnson said. “A bungled brake or alignment job could cause the driver to lose control, causing an injury – or worse. Customers expect that auto repairs will be done safely by people trained to do the job. We’re taking action to ensure those expectations are enforced to the full extent of the law.”
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