An Ignition Interlock In Every Car?

ryeguy-nm writes "Monday the New Mexico House of Representatives passed a bill that would require every car sold in the state to have an ignition interlock. This device is essentially a breath analyzer that prevents the car from being started if the driver is drunk. The bill would require that every new car sold be equipped with an ignition interlock by 2008 and every used car by 2009. Ignition interlocks require a breath test, which takes 30 seconds to complete, to start the car as well as random 'rolling retests' to discourage others from taking the test for you. These rolling retests require the driver to take the test as the car is moving. If the driver fails a retest, the horn sounds and the lights flash until the car is turned off. The bill's lead proponent is Dem. Ken Martinez who believes the bill is a quick fix for New Mexico's drunk driving problems. Opponents of the bill argue that it penalizes car dealerships and law abiding citizens who have never driven drunk. The bill makes no mention of who will have to pay for the device, but it will most likely be auto dealers and citizens who have to sell their cars. It seems to me that impinging upon the liberty of an entire state is a little bit too extreme. Perhaps tougher penalties and larger fines for people who actually drive drunk would be a better idea."

Could have been worse...

[__aaveti3199]

They could have asked for rolling urine samples and performance anxiety would have cleared the roads of cars.

This test is UNBEATABLE!

[karmaflux]

There's NO WAY to blow air into a tube wihout it coming from a human lung. Billows do not exist. And these things are so inexpensive, they can put two or three in each car, to make sure the passengers are sober too!

Wait, none of that is true.

What the story doesn't mention is the Special Edition model for bishops and politicians. When they fail a drunk test, a HUD shows up on the windshield and locks on to pedestrians. Makes life a LOT easier, let me tell you.

But,

[deltagreen]

but, but, what about all those movie scenes where's it the middle of the night, and the woman desperately tries to start her car, while the stalker is running towards her. I'm sure that the 30 second breath test will be the death of large numbers of movie babes...

Excuse for the cops

[Washizu]

"No officer, she wasn't taking my breathalyzer for me. She was just giving me road head."

Slashdot interlock

[CaptainAlbert]

While we're at it, can we have a device which detects whether slashdot readers are on crack and refuses to give them mod points if they are?

Re:Mixed feelings

[Rosco P. Coltrane]

So, when Indians get drunk and drive home, it is significantly harder than it is, say, for me when I have too much at the BW3 5 minutes away.

*Ride* home you mean, I presume. Indeed it's hard to retrofit an ignition interlock to a horse.

Re:Whatever happened....

[Anonymous Coward]

How bout a baloon knot full of air after a lunch at El Torito?

Re:Good luck trying to leave in a hurry...

[ubrgeek]

A recent (?) episode of Myth Busters [discovery.com] proved that brushing one's teeth (or, in New Mexico, tooth) and using mouthwash does not affect the validity of a breath test.

Re:no thanks

[Trurl's Machine]

I dont drink and drive so obviously this has no appeal to me.

Substantial delay in starting your own car plus random distracton while driving has no appeal to you?

wastin' away...

[chow_mein]

Population New Mexico: 1,829,146

Estimated 1 out of every 5 people are drivers

Estimate each driver starts car approximately 4 times

Time wasted from drivers waiting for 30 sec to take stupid test: 12194 hours

And I thought I wasted time!

Dial tone interlock

[frankthechicken]

I've often wanted and required one of these placed on my mobile phone, simply for those post drinking sessions moments when it seems like an ideal moment to call my ex.

It would certainly prevent those next day conversations when she calls you up wondering exactly what you were trying to say/sing on her answering machine.

Hold on a second there.

[jellomizer]

There is a N E W Mexico?

Re:Oh this makes sens... huh?

[Smallpond]

You're right. It should do periodic test of your ability to focus by playing the sound of a baby crying in the back seat and checking that your steering doesn't become erratic.

There should also be a periodic eye exam for older drivers where an eye chart drops down in front of the driver and they have to read off the bottom row.

Its clearly the auto makers who are at fault in every accident by letting unqualified drivers operate their cars.

Re:Whatever happened....

[trash eighty]

fill it before you start drinking of course

Easily Defeated

[Deanasc]

I have a can of compressed air that say's this test will become useless before it's even implimented.

Great news for the budding homicidal maniac...

[StressGuy]

We've all seen the movies....woman running from maniac with a pickaxe gets into her car and starts fumbling with the keys. Then the car won't start until after about two good pickaxe shots throught the roof.
.
Now, on top of everything else, she's got to manage to breath into a tube between screams of terror.
.
yup, great day to be a homicidal maniac.

Re:Whatever happened....

[drunk_as_in_beer]

then only outlaws will have balloons

Re:Creative punishment

[the argonaut]

Ever wonder why New Mexico's license plates are yellow?

Re:Whatever happened....

[Anonymous Coward]

Put balloon under arm to warm it.

Re:Good luck trying to leave in a hurry...

[Fishstick]

> A recent (?) episode of Myth Busters

OT: That show rocks. It's the new "junkyard wars" except those two are insane and like to destroy things.

I watched the episode this week where they tried to prove/disprove that cellphones caused gas station explosions. When that obviously didn't work, they turned to the theory that women's panties built up static electricity as the source of ignition. They built a leyden jar and charged it by rubbing a pair of panties on a length of pvc, and then discharged it it a lexan booth filled with gas/air mixture.

BOOM! The one guy had all the hair on one side of his face singed off. They also microwaved CD's and spun them at crazy speeds to see what point they shattered (to explore the myth that 52x readers cause disks to shatter). Hell, we used to do stuff like this is my Dad's garage, but no one ever offered _us_ a TV show!

I missed the one with the breathalyzer though (should never have showed the kids how to manipulate the season pass on the TiVo -- I got "Totally Spies" instead of that episode).

Re:laws

[Eccles]

Why would these representatives care if their chauffeur was inconvenienced?

Re:Drinking and driving?

[BoomerSooner]

Get rid of alcohol. It worked for drugs. Hell I haven't heard anything about drug usage since Nancy Regan started her "Just Say No" campaign. Too bad GWBush didn't read the papers back then.

Rolling Retests? Great Idea!

[fuzzybunny]

Me: Vroom! Vroom! Yee-haa, 250km/h! *pop open a cold one to celebrate* *glug glug glug*
Car: Sir, time for a rolling re-test!
(cue: honker breathalyzer tube falling from the ceiling)
*whap!* Smack in the face!
Me: Eek!
Car: Screeech! WHAM! *flip* *roll* *bounce bounce bounce* *BOOM!* (Car explodes in kindergarten playground off shoulder of autobahn, splattering passer-bys with bits of 3-year-olds)
Me: Ooogh. Pain.
Onlooker: Well, at least he's not a traffic hazard anymore.

Sign me up...

Re:Will last about 1/2 hour...

[ehiris]

New Mexico has periodic (annual, IIRC) vehicle safety inspections. If your interlock were disabled, you wouldn't get your inspection sticker and couldn't legally drive your car.

How is the guy who tests if the interlock is working going to drive home?

Re:We already do

[The_Mr_Flibble]

Yes but once all the drunk drivers are taken care of the insurance premiums will come down. Yes ? Sorry what am I thinking

Re:Will last about 1/2 hour...

[Libertarian_Geek]

"as well as random 'rolling retests' to discourage others from taking the test for you. These rolling retests require the driver to take the test as the car is moving. If the driver fails a retest, the horn sounds and the lights flash until the car is turned off"

Wouldn't these rolling retests be at least as distracting as using a cellphone while driving?

Re:Whatever happened....

[ncr53c8xx]

Cool.. Now when are these reports read? For DUI offenders, it's presumably fairly often. For everyone else...when? When you get your car inspected? These things had better have a pretty big memory.

Cool. A big brother surveillance device has just been implanted with a "save the children" angle. Do they use 1984 as a manual?

Hum Tone: Requires the client to deliver a hum resonance while blowing the alcohol test prior to starting the vehicle. Deters techniques utilized to mimic human breath or to absorb alcohol.

Anyone else see the South Park episode with "IT"? :-) Looks like the controls are gaining popularity.

I change my own batteries. There are also times when I take the battery off for other reasons. I should just be able to, period.

Changing your own batteries? What are you, a communist? :-D

Re:That would BLOW (pardon the pun.)

[nelsonal]

If certain drinking establishments had a breathalizer I'd guess there would be a high score sheet next to it.

Simple Workaround

[Anonymous Coward]

If you wanna drive drunk, get your buddy to blow in the tube. What's so hard about that!?

So this thing is useless. Hell, it might promote homosexuality; You and your friends are drinking one time, chilling. It's time to go home. You're plastered. You go, "Hey dude, gimmie a blow. I gotta go home." The friend says, "Sure," and, well, hopefully he gives your car a blow, not you.

Re:That would BLOW (pardon the pun.)

[operagost]

Seeing as the average adult male has anywhere from 10 to 12 pints of blood (we'll use 10 to make the math easier), your numbers would mean that the most common legal limit (.10) is equivalent to donating a pint of blood and replacing it with a pint of pure grain alcohol!

Sounds like a party to me!

Car Chases!

[scovetta]

Ignition interlocks require a breath test, which takes 30 seconds to complete...

Can you imagine the car chases in movies? Good guy jumps in through the open window... fumbles with the keys as the bad guy is getting closer... puts the key in the ignition... BEEP! PLEASE BREATHE INTO THE STEERING WHEEL AND WAIT 30 SECONDS! BEEP!

Re:That would BLOW (pardon the pun.)

[mbourgon]

Damn... I should've used that last week. I _definitely_ would've gotten out of jury duty.

Public Transit

[metamatic]

Loutish, drunken behavior is a serious problem on public transit. Just wait until they fit these devices on the buses...

Re:Um, why not just for DUIs?

[lrt512]

Now change the situation. It's -10 F outside, and you want to start your car to warm it up, then run back inside. That's right, that remote starter you were so thrilled to get for Christmas is useless now.

Yep, those famous New Mexico winters.

Re:Typo alert

[Molt]

Ah yes, but having the DUI limit at almost twice the lethal dose makes it so much easier to spot them.

The way to stop this stuff

[glsunder]

The way to stop this kind of stuff is to pass a law stating that anyone who introduces and supports a new law like this has to abide by it for 1 year if it _doesn't_ pass.

In this case, the group of people and politicians who supported it would have to get this breathalizer installed and use it for one year. I bet they'd think things through a bit more the next time they got a harebrained idea.

Of course, this post is a harebrained idea too...

Re:laws

[stephenbooth]

But in a country where a guy arrested for DUI can still hope to be elected president someday,

At least if he's president someone else will be driving most of the time.

Stephen

OMG RTFA K THX BYE

[lowmagnet]

I mean seriously, this is NEW MEXICO. And if anyone has a history of a DUI, it's our President. Get over yourself.

30 second test??!?!?!?

[zorcon]

This would pretty much change horror/thriller/action movies forever as running to a car for an escape would no longer be an option due to the 30 second wait.

Seriously though, sometimes you need to start your car and GO! This would pretty much screw you in such a situation. Would probably also lead to higher auto theft due to people leaving their cars running while swinging in to the bank or 7-11.

Re:laws

[Analogy Man]

You see, I deserve to be richer, smarter, better-looking, safer, better-fed, and healthier than anyone else. Me me me.

You forgot more sex with hotter women in there, but maybe that comes with the richer/better-looking in a package deal...I wouldn't know.

Just wait for the next version...

[Retired Replicant]

The next version will require you to pee into a urine-testing device before your car will start. Make sure you drink lots of water while driving so you can pass all of the "rolling retests." The upside is that you will no longer need to stop to at rest areas on long trips :)

Assisted Blowing

[Cytop1asm]

Drunken Man: Honey... sit closer to the wheel and blow me... I mean blow for me!

Make driving safer for everyone.

[rice_burners_suck]

I think this is a splendid idea! But here's an even better one: The "rolling retest" feature should only activate when the driver is trying to concentrate on changing lanes, or making an emergency maneuver to avoid an accident, or some other situation in which a retest would be really dangerous. Upon activation of the rolling retest, the steering wheel would suddenly veer in some random direction while the throttle is opened all the way and the pedals and shifter are disabled and do not function. Also, explosives mounted under the car, as used in filming automotive stunts, would cause the car to flip over, especially if the driver was NOT drunk and had never, ever driven drunk. Yeah. That would make driving safer for everyone.

Envy

[Anonymous Coward]

This is so stupid that legislators in California are wondering why they didn't think of it first!

Re:This is the most idiotic idea ever:

[Anonymous Coward]

Deadly scenario 1: You're driving down a city street, perfectly legitimately. Your car buzzer sounds. It's now time to prove to your own property that you have the right to use it. You reach down for the breath tube, taking your eyes off the road. At this moment, a four year old runs into your path. You splatter her all over the asphalt because you were distracted by having to blow into a fucking tube in order to keep your car working.

Scenario Solution: all 4 year olds should be armored by a ton of metal. Why wasn't he driving? Get that kid a car, and bad things like this won't happen.

Deadly scenario 2: You're parked at a rest stop. A runaway truck comes careening into the parking lot, hurtling straight toward your car. You need to start your car and drive out of the way before he gets there. Too bad, it takes 30 seconds to start your car because you need to blow into a fucking tube. You get splattered all over the inside of your car.

Scenario Solution: You reach into the glove box and find your vodka bottle. Chug. Blow into tester. Test fails, car alarm starts, horn honks. Noise wakes up the truck driver who fell asleep at the wheel. He veers off at just the last second, narrowly avoiding killing you.

A cranked up carjacker jumps into your passenger seat in the Costco parking lot and holds you at gunpoint.

Scenario Solution: always have a concealed hip flask of hard liquor on you. If someone carjacks you, create a distraction and then start chugging. "Sorry, carjacker, this damn car won't start. Let's go hijack something that isn't a lemon!"

They have a new version of this device

[El]

If you've had 1 to 4 drinks, it prevents your car from starting. But if you're really drunk, it automatically drives your car to your ex's house!

Re:laws

[Anonymous Coward]

Also, to a lesser extent, people who have to take up to and extra 30 seconds to start up a car, but don't have that luxury due to an emergency (hospital, flight out of fear, etc.)

If you're being chased by a serial killer, a death squad or some monster, that car was never going to start in the first 30 seconds anyway.

Business Idea!

[Anonymous Coward]

Compressed breath in a can - I'll make millions! :)