What Evidence Suggests Movement
Toward Universal Ignition Interlocks
in the United States?

Universal interlocks could impose de facto prohibition on responsible adults by making it impossible to drive home from a restaurant, ball game, or any social event where beer, wine, spirits are served if you’ve had just a small amount of alcohol. (Not enough to render you “impaired,” let alone drunk—just enough to trigger the interlocks.)

Anti-alcohol activists have publicly revealed their goal of installing interlock technology in every single car:

• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration administrator Nicole Nason told Automotive News in August 2007 that getting interlock technology every car in America could take decades. But she concluded: “We have to start now.”
  
  
• “MADD began floating the notion of taking this concept to its logical conclusion: It wants every automobile to come equipped with passive Breathalyzer-like technology that will screen the alcohol level of every driver.”
  

Several states, including New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, and Oklahoma, have already considered legislation to mandated interlocks on all vehicles.

Pro-interlock organizations are working closely with interlock manufacturers, insurance companies, car manufacturers, and national highway officials to coordinate strategies for making the public more receptive to the idea.Their strategy to achieve public support is strikingly similar to the one MADD used to lower the legal drunk driving threshold from 0.10 percent to 0.08 percent BAC:

• Convince the public there is a need
• Pass incremental legislation in states
• Get pro-interlock legislation into the upcoming highway bill