Combating drunken driving: Minnesota needs ignition interlock devices

No family should have to endure the horror of losing a child, parent, brother or sister to someone who selfishly decided to drive drunk. Yet, this completely preventable crime claimed the lives of nearly 500 people in Minnesota between 2011 and 2014. Even worse, road deaths in Minnesota are already up dramatically in 2016 — up more than 20 percent over this time last year.

The carnage must stop.

The Minnesota Legislature has the power to greatly reduce tragedies like these by passing HF 1112, authored by Rep. Kim Norton, DFL-Rochester, and SF 1362 from Sen. Chris Eaton, DFL-Brooklyn Center. These no-nonsense laws would require ignition interlocks for all drunken-driving offenders.

Ignition interlocks save lives.

The driver exhales into the interlock device, and the vehicle will not start if alcohol content is above the device's programmed level. No other technology or alcohol program can act as a physical barrier between a drunken driver and his or her car. That's why passing ignition interlock laws for all offenders is one of Mothers Against Drunk Driving's top legislative priorities across the nation.

Twenty-five states have laws that require ignition interlocks for all offenders. Last week, the Maryland Legislature unanimously passed "Noah's Law," named for Noah Leotta, a fallen police officer killed by a suspected drunken driver. With the stroke of the governor's pen next month, Maryland will become the 26th state to require these lifesaving devices for all offenders, after years of the legislation being denied a vote.

In February, I stood with Leotta's family. I heard the anger in their voices when they asked why Maryland hadn't passed a strong ignition interlock law sooner. Victims in Minnesota should ask the same question: What's taking so long to pass a law that is proven to keep drunken drivers from using their cars as weapons aimed at anyone who crosses their path?

That's not good enough. Every person driving with a blood alcohol level of .08 and above has chosen to break the law, to drive while their judgment is impaired and their reaction times are slowed. The goal of an ignition interlock law for all offenders is not to differentiate or penalize one type of drunken driver over another, but to protect everyone on Minnesota's roads.

Ignition interlocks do this. At the same time, they give convicted drunken drivers the opportunity to be validly licensed and to change their behavior. Offenders can legally drive to and from treatment, remain employed or in school, and take care of other family and personal responsibilities — all with little disruption to their daily routines as long as they don't try to drive after drinking.

Revoking driver's licenses alone doesn't keep offenders from behind the wheel — we know that up to 75 percent of those who lose their licenses continue to drive, and many continue to drive drunk.

The cost of interlocks for convicted drunken drivers in Minnesota is about $3 a day — less than an overpriced cup of coffee. For offenders who can't afford the interlock, HF 1112 and SF 1362 support an indigent fund to help defray these costs. The cost of interlocks is negligible, but the savings are — in a very deep sense — infinite.

If the Legislature truly wants to save lives, HF 1112 and SF 1362 deserve at least a fair hearing and a vote by the House Public Safety and the Senate Judiciary committees before sending these bills to the full Legislature for a vote. Time is running out, and the safety of Minnesota families is at stake.