Being a King County auto accident lawyer and Bellevue wrongful death attorney I see the intense devastation drunk drivers create on a regular basis. Drunk Driving is a leading cause of fatal auto accidents. Every year 12,000 people die in a fatal drunk driving accident. Legislatures in Californiaare now seeking to make the roads a little safer by forcing those with multiple offenses to install an ignition interlock device in their vehicles. These vehicle breathalyzers measure Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) and keep the ignition from firing if alcohol is detected.

One of the objections to implementing this device is that someone else can help get the car started, but think about it. If you are sober and asked to help a drunk driver start their car, aren’t you going to be afraid of the potential liability and also the danger of killing someone? This device maybe a way to remove the keys without any argument.

A primary concern with the use of these devices is that friends and passengers will breath into the device to get the car started for the intoxicated driver rendering the device useless. This objection, however, appears far fetched as a sober passenger would be less likely to get in a vehicle with an drunk driver who requires a breathalyzer to drive. The fear of injury, and death to themselves and others would be a prevalent fear. I believe this device can help collect the keys of intoxicated drivers who realize without a sober breath they are unable to start their car.

In California, they are also considering increasing the consequences of drunk driving- 5 months of jail time for first-time offenders and increasing steadily up to 36 months for those convicted of a fourth offense.

James Ballidis, a California injury lawyer in Orange County, CA has been advocating increased drunk driving laws in order to help save the thousands of lives lost every year to intoxicated drivers. His article Ignition Interlock For LA Drunk Drivers. Is California Next?   Is interesting reading and may be of interest to you. If you have recently suffered injuries from a drunk driving accident in California I recommend Jim Ballidis to protect your rights and advocate on your behalf, allowing you to focus on your recovery.

I believe it is time for Washington to adopt stricter drunk driving laws and work towards saving the thousands of lives lost every year. If you have been affected by a drunk driver- please don’t hesitate to seek legal council.

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