Governor Signs Feuer Legislation to Curtail DUI Collisions
California Political Desk
October 13, 2009
(Sacramento) - Yesterday Governor Schwarzenegger signed Assembly Bill 91 (Feuer), a bipartisan public safety measure that will help decrease drunk driving by requiring DUI offenders to install ignition interlock devices (IIDs) on their cars. It creates a pilot project in the counties of Alameda, Los Angeles, Sacramento, and Tulare requiring IIDs on any vehicle owned or operated by an individual convicted of a DUI offense. California taxpayers will not bear the costs associated with the IID; rather, the offenders will be required to pay.
"This pilot project can save hundreds of lives. I'm pleased that the Governor agrees that California should require offenders to have these devices installed. This law is an important step in preventing DUI recidivism in our state," said Assembly member Mike Feuer (D-Los Angeles), author of the bill.
When installed, an IID links into a vehicle’s ignition system, and a driver blows into the device to start the vehicle. The vehicle will not start unless the driver's alcohol level is below the limit of .08 blood-alcohol content (the legal limit in California).
In states where ignition interlock devices are installed on the vehicles of first-time offenders, repeat DUI offenses have significantly decreased. West Virginia experienced a decrease of more than 70% among first-time offenders. In New Mexico, drunk driving recidivism has declined by more than 60% since it mandated that first-time offenders equip their vehicles with IIDs. As the LA Times has reported, from 2004 to 2008, DUI fatalities in New Mexico dropped 35% (http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-new-mexico-dwi7-2009jul07,0,7586274.story).
The legislation is supported by a broad coalition of law enforcement, healthcare professionals, insurance companies, and advocacy groups. Additionally, it has been endorsed in editorials in the Los Angeles Times, the San Jose Mercury News, and the Sacramento Bee and other leading California newspapers.
In CA, law enforcement made 203,866 DUI arrests in 2007, averaging out to 558 DUI arrests every day. Of those arrested, 45,149 were repeat offenders. These drivers caused 53,261 collisions, resulting in the death of 1501 people.
The pilot project begins on July 1, 2010 and will extend to January 1, 2016. By July 1, 2015, the Department of Motor Vehicles will report to the Legislature on the pilot project’s effectiveness in reducing the number of repeat DUI offenses.
"This pilot project can save hundreds of lives. I'm pleased that the Governor agrees that California should require offenders to have these devices installed. This law is an important step in preventing DUI recidivism in our state," said Assembly member Mike Feuer (D-Los Angeles), author of the bill.
When installed, an IID links into a vehicle’s ignition system, and a driver blows into the device to start the vehicle. The vehicle will not start unless the driver's alcohol level is below the limit of .08 blood-alcohol content (the legal limit in California).
In states where ignition interlock devices are installed on the vehicles of first-time offenders, repeat DUI offenses have significantly decreased. West Virginia experienced a decrease of more than 70% among first-time offenders. In New Mexico, drunk driving recidivism has declined by more than 60% since it mandated that first-time offenders equip their vehicles with IIDs. As the LA Times has reported, from 2004 to 2008, DUI fatalities in New Mexico dropped 35% (http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-new-mexico-dwi7-2009jul07,0,7586274.story).
The legislation is supported by a broad coalition of law enforcement, healthcare professionals, insurance companies, and advocacy groups. Additionally, it has been endorsed in editorials in the Los Angeles Times, the San Jose Mercury News, and the Sacramento Bee and other leading California newspapers.
In CA, law enforcement made 203,866 DUI arrests in 2007, averaging out to 558 DUI arrests every day. Of those arrested, 45,149 were repeat offenders. These drivers caused 53,261 collisions, resulting in the death of 1501 people.
The pilot project begins on July 1, 2010 and will extend to January 1, 2016. By July 1, 2015, the Department of Motor Vehicles will report to the Legislature on the pilot project’s effectiveness in reducing the number of repeat DUI offenses.
Print
Email
