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Summary: What Caused The Change In Law

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Another vital step towards safer roadways took place recently when Pennsylvania’s Governor Wolf signed into law new restrictions on first time Driving Under the Influence (DUI) offenders. This law states that first time DUI offenders will now be legally required to use a breathalyzer-equipped lock in order to operate their vehicle. According to a University of Pennsylvania researchers, the expectation is a 15% reduction in alcohol-related highways deaths within a few years of the law’s inception. What Caused The Change in Law? All across America, booze-fueled crashes committed by repeat drunken driving offenders take place on a regular basis. In Pennsylvania, some recent high-profile cases have brought to the forefront the need for stiffer …show more content…

The findings were then shared in The American Journal Public Health in March. This is in conjunction with the Mothers Against Drunk Drivers Organization, which has been pleading with states to create such a law, requiring ignition locks, since 2008. Specifics About Ignition Interlock Devices in Pennsylvania Law: The mandate passed in Pennsylvania states that ignition locks will be required for any driver measuring at least 25% over the legal blood-alcohol limit. This legal limit is .08, so drivers found with a blood alcohol level .10 or more will fall into this category. This is considered a reasonable limit by most. However, drivers should understand that even one drink can up their chances of getting into a vehicular accident. How The Device Works: The ignition lock system requires a driver to blow into the device before their vehicle will start. If the device detects the presence of alcohol above the preset limit, it will not start. Instead, it will go into a lockdown period. During this lockout, the device will demand an additional breath test at a later time before the vehicle will start. Typically, the lockout period will last around five minutes. However, if the driver is still measuring high after the first lockout, the period will go to 30 minutes. There is sometimes another feature called the rolling retest. This is when the vehicle requires periodic testing

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