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Ignition alcohol detectors stopped drunk drivers from starting cars 1.8 million times. Father of slain police officer calls for more use of ignition locks in Maryland
(about 7 hours later)
Automobile “interlocks” that require motorists to breathe into a tube before trying to start their cars have stopped 1.8 million cases of drunk driving nationwide, according to a report released Wednesday by officials from Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) who called for wider use of the technology. Rich Leotta sat in a hearing room surrounded by Maryland lawmakers on Wednesday, struggling to make it through a news conference before the tears began to fall.
MADD dedicated the findings to Noah Leotta, 24, a police officer who was killed two months ago just north of Washington. Leotta was struck by a suspected drunk driver while he was working a special detail aimed at getting drunk people off the road. MADD officials, along with Leotta’s father, are set to discuss interlock devices Wednesday afternoon at a news conference in Annapolis. He talked about his son Noah, a 24-year-old police officer killed by a suspected drunk driver two months ago, and about “Noah’s bill,” a measure that would require more drunk drivers to use an ignition lock on their cars after being convicted of driving under the influence.
[Driver who struck officer had been drinking at restaurant, police say]
“MADD knows ignition interlocks save lives, and they could save even more lives if every offender is required to use the device after the first arrest,” Colleen Sheehey-Church, the group’s president, said in prepared remarks Wednesday.
In its research, MADD found that every state uses the devices, although the terms and frequency vary. The group, using data from interlock device companies, added up the number of times they stopped someone who was legally drunk from starting a car. The failed attempts came from drivers who already had been arrested for drunk driving at least once.
“The fact that so many people have attempted to drive impaired — even after being caught and ordered to use an ignition interlock — tells us that we must put technology between all offenders and their cars,” Sheehey-Church said.
States use a sliding scale when requiring drivers to use the devices. About half of states mandate the devices for those convicted of driving at or above the legal blood-alcohol limit of 0.08 percent. That level is the equivalent, MADD said, of a 160-pound man drinking four beers in an hour. In other states, mandatory use of the devices kicks in at higher blood-alcohol levels.
In Maryland, where Leotta was an officer for the Montgomery County police force, drivers convicted at 0.15 percen or higher must use an interlock to avoid having their licenses suspended, officials said.
Motorists convicted a lower blood-alcohol levels — from 0.08 percent to 0.14 percent — can still enroll in the state’s interlock program. But unless a judge orders a person to do so, the program is not mandatory and requires attending a $150 administrative hearing, said a spokesman for the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. Under new regulations expected to take effect soon, those convicted at the lower levels can enter the interlock program without attending the hearing.
But it’s not required.
“The state of Maryland must do better. Our nation must do better,” Leotta’s father, Rich Leotta, said Wednesday.
On Dec. 3, Noah Leotta — while working a holiday drunk-driving task force — pulled over a car in Rockville. While he was outside his cruiser, another car struck him from behind. The driver, Luis Reluzco, 47, had been drinking at a Hooters restaurant, according to police reports and officials. He has not been charged, but police are continuing to work on the case and have said they suspect that he was drunk.
Rich Leotta said drunk drivers killed more than 100 people in Maryland last year.
“These other 129 people are also very special but do not have the voice Noah has been given,” he said. “So Noah is representing all the people of Maryland, and throughout the country, that have been needlessly killed and injured by drunk drivers.”
Maryland Del. Benjamin F. Kramer (D-Montgomery) is leading efforts to expand the use of interlock devices. Under legislation he is proposing, drivers convicted of drunk driving would be required to have an interlock put on their car for six months. If the device detected that a driver tried to start a car after drinking, the duration could be extended, Kramer said.
According to MADD, the devices generally cost about $2.50 a day to run. Many states have set aside money for motorists who can’t afford them.
[Numbed by death of colleague, police tear up seeing children along funeral procession route][Numbed by death of colleague, police tear up seeing children along funeral procession route]
“I really don’t understand why such a common sense law hasn’t passed,” said the elder Leotta, holding up an ignition “interlock” and trying to push down emotions that bounced from sorrow to anger. “The state of Maryland needs to do better. The nation needs to do better.”
Leotta was joined by officials from Mothers Against Drunk Driving who on Wednesday released a report that showed that interlocks, which require motorists to breathe into a tube before they can try to start their cars, have stopped 1.8 million cases of drunk driving nationwide. MADD is calling for a wider use of the technology.
The national organization dedicated the report’s findings to Noah Leotta, who was struck in Montgomery County while working a special detail aimed at getting drunk people off the road.
“MADD knows ignition interlocks save lives, and they could save even more lives if every offender is required to use the device after the first arrest,” said Colleen Sheehey-Church, the group’s president.
Using data from interlock device companies, MADD added up the number of times the ignition-lock devices stopped someone who was legally drunk from starting a car.
“The fact that so many people have attempted to drive impaired — even after being caught and ordered to use an ignition interlock — tells us that we must put technology between all offenders and their cars,” Sheehey-Church said.
The group found that every state uses the devices, although the terms and frequency vary. About half of states mandate the ignition locks for those convicted of driving at or above the legal blood-alcohol limit of 0.08 percent. That level is the equivalent, MADD said, of a 160-pound man drinking four beers in an hour.
In other states, mandatory use of the devices kicks in at higher blood-alcohol levels. The devices cost about $70-150 to install, according to MADD, and about $60-80 per month for monitoring and calibration.
[Stiffer drunk driving bill stalls in Annapolis]
In Maryland, where Leotta was an officer for the Montgomery County Police Department, drivers convicted of driving with a blood-alcohol content of 0.15 percent or higher must have an interlock device installed on their vehicles to avoid having their licenses suspended.
Maryland motorists convicted of drunk driving with lower blood-alcohol levels — from 0.08 percent to 0.14 percent — can still enroll in the state’s interlock program. But unless a judge orders a person to do so, the program is not mandatory, and voluntary participation requires attending a $150 administrative hearing, said a spokesman for the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration.
Under new regulations expected to take effect soon, those convicted at the lower blood-alcohol levels would be able to enter the interlock program without attending the hearing. But it still would not be required.
Del. Benjamin F. Kramer and Senate Majority Whip Jamie Raskin, both Democrats from Montgomery County, are leading this year’s effort to expand the use of interlock devices in Maryland.
The lawmakers blamed the strong liquor lobby in Annapolis for similar bills failing to get out of committee in past sessions. Raskin said a mandatory ignition interlock bill was first introduced in 2009.
“Of the thousands of bills that we will consider this year, this is the only one that we can say for a fact is going to save lives,” Kramer said. “We’ve got to move this forward.”
The devices cost about $70-150 to install, according to MADD, and about $60-80 per month for monitoring and calibration.
The American Beverage Institute, a trade organization that represents restaurants, said that while interlocks are a valuable part of DUI enforcement, they should be reserved for the most serious offenders – those with very high blood-alcohol content.
“It’s a great tool to go after hard-core drunk drivers,” said Sarah Longwell, a spokeswoman for the group. “But someone who is one sip over the legal limit shouldn’t automatically be treated the same as high-BAC offenders and repeat offenders.”
[Driver who struck officer had been drinking at restaurant, police say]
Noah Leotta was working a holiday drunk-driving task force on Dec. 3 when he pulled over a car in Rockville. While he was outside his cruiser, another car struck him from behind. The driver, Luis Reluzco, 47, had been drinking at a Hooters restaurant, according to police reports and officials. He has not been charged, but police are continuing to work on the case and have said they suspect that he was drunk.
Rich Leotta said drunk drivers killed 130 people in Maryland last year.
“These other 129 people are also very special but do not have the voice Noah has been given,” the elder Leotta said. “So Noah is representing all the people of Maryland, and throughout the country, that have been needlessly killed and injured by drunk drivers.”