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 5-HT2A
Registered: 01/30/10
Posts: 1,634
Loc: The Prefrontal Cortex
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 Restaurant lobby seeks to put ignition interlock provision on ice 
#15756136 - 02/03/12 12:54 PM (3 months, 24 days ago) |
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http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/02/03/restaurant-lobby-seeks-to-put-ignition-interlock-provision-on-ice/?test=latestnews
One of Washington's top trade groups for adult beverages is seeking to put on ice a provision within a House transportation bill that would require states to mandate ignition interlock devices for convicted drunk drivers.
The American Beverage Institute, an association that represents more than 8,000 U.S. restaurants, claims that by mandating ignition interlocks -- commonly referred to as in-car breath tests -- for anyone convicted of drunken driving, regardless how low their blood alcohol content, will deny judges the ability to differentiate between low-risk and "hard core" offenders, managing director Sarah Longwell told FoxNews.com.
"Interlocks should only be mandated for people who are 0.15 BAC or above on their first offense or who have multiple offenses at any level," she said. "Below that 0.15 level, a judge should be involved in whether or not the offender gets an interlock."
The provision is included in legislation currently being considered on Capitol Hill. The American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act, a $260 billion, five-year plan to link job creation to infrastructure projects, sets aside $493 million for federal highway safety grants.
According to a draft of the legislation, if enacted as currently configured, the provision would offer $25 million per year to states that require the devices to be installed in vehicles of anyone convicted of driving under the influence -- even first-time offenders.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) supports the provision, citing ignition interlocks laws as a key component in its overall campaign to eliminate drunk driving. In 2010, more than 10,000 people in the U.S. were killed in crashes involving a drunk driver, but the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety estimates that alcohol detection devices could save nearly 8,000 lives annually.
"While drunk driving remains the primary threat to American families traveling on our roadways, we are closer to making sure no family must endure the pain of losing a loved one to this 100-percent preventable crime," MADD National President Jan Withers said in a statement. "
Fifteen states require all convicted drunk drivers to use ignition interlocks, a breath test device linked to the vehicle's ignition system that will not allow it to start unless the driver's blood alcohol concentration is below a preset level, according to MADD.
After passing ignition interlock laws for all offenders in Oregon and Arizona, those states saw drunken driving deaths plummet by 52 and 51 percent, respectively, the nonprofit group says.
But ABI officials point out that 27 have decided only to target offenders arrested with high blood alcohol concentration levels or repeat convictions, and say that approach is more logical.
"We believe that the incentive should be on the high BAC and repeat offenders who cause the vast majority of alcohol-related fatalities," Longwell said. "It's already very difficult to get those people off the roads. It's those high BAC guys that we need to focus our resources on."
Longwell cited data from the National Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that indicates the average BAC of a drunk driver in a fatal car crash is 0.19 percent, or more than twice the legal limit. The House's proposed solution spreads out "scarce resources to the detriment of catching these hard-core offenders," Longwell said.
Michael Boldin, executive director of the Tenth Amendment Center, said he disagreed with the "one-size-fits-all solution" behind the provision, particularly given that 42 states have already weighed in on whether to put ignition interlock laws on the books.
"Every time we set that precedent that the federal government can mandate on the states certain rules or regulations, then the next time that something bigger comes up -- perhaps a health care mandate -- then there's already the building blocks for this type of power that's been allowed in the past," he told FoxNews.com.
Boldin said members of Congress may want to consider that states could better attack the problem by focusing their efforts on initiatives that have been proven to work.
"One state may do something really badly and another state may do it very well," he said. "You're going to learn from people's mistakes much faster than the federal government slapping a one size fits all solution on it."
Even with the relatively small sum allocated for the provision nationwide, the cost of the program to states would be prohibitive, Longwell argued, citing an estimate by the American Probation and Parole Association that the price of supervision of offenders to states would exceed $432 million. She also thinks it's the first step to a federal mandate on alcohol-detecting technology in all cars sold in the United States.
"It's not that far away," said Longwell, adding it might be widespread within the next decade. "It sets the stage for new technology that is much more sophisticated, that would automatically be in new cars just like airbags and seatbelts. This is an important step for interlock proponents to get them there."
Proponents of the provision, however, claim ignition interlocks will save taxpayers money. A study on New Mexico's interlock law found that the cost of an interlock was $2.25 per day to the user, who pays for the installation and maintenance of the device. But for every dollar invested in an interlock for a first-time offender, the public saved three dollars, MADD officials said.
Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, did not commit on Wednesday when asked by a reporter if he intended to keep the controversial provision in the bill, which is not yet final.
As of early Friday, the provision remained in the bill, which was prepped by legislators overnight.
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 focker919
Stranger
Registered: 05/06/11
Posts: 29
Last seen: 7 days, 22 hours
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Re: Restaurant lobby seeks to put ignition interlock provision on ice [Re: 5-HT2A]
#15756316 - 02/03/12 02:00 PM (3 months, 23 days ago) |
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I'm 100% okay with a device that prevents drunk drivers from driving. However, a preset BAC level doesn't prove shit for sobriety. I can drink 5-6 before feeling drunk, I know people that drink half that and people that drink double that get to the same place.
And if they preinstall these on all new cars, they had damn well better be sure that there will NEVER be a false positive. I'm seeing a lot of lost jobs and missed appointments due to some malfunction :/
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closet hippie
Stranger
Registered: 01/27/12
Posts: 73
Loc: Brisbane 
Last seen: 2 months, 4 days
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Re: Restaurant lobby seeks to put ignition interlock provision on ice [Re: focker919]
#15756435 - 02/03/12 02:30 PM (3 months, 23 days ago) |
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I'm ok with this but then it doesn't concern me I don't live in the states and I don't drink.
But I think it would be great in all cars regardless, it should become a part of car safety like seat belts or airbags but I wouldn't like to have to blow on the device every time I had to get in a car this is more a punishment so until then give it to all convicted drunk drivers that are not just over the limit. It's too costly
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5-HT2A
Registered: 01/30/10
Posts: 1,634
Loc: The Prefrontal Cortex
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Re: Restaurant lobby seeks to put ignition interlock provision on ice [Re: focker919]
#15756486 - 02/03/12 02:42 PM (3 months, 23 days ago) |
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Quote:
focker919 said:
I'm 100% okay with a device that prevents drunk drivers from driving. However, a preset BAC level doesn't prove shit for sobriety. I can drink 5-6 before feeling drunk, I know people that drink half that and people that drink double that get to the same place.
W-ORD
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Wise Toad
Distorted Interpretation
Registered: 06/08/10
Posts: 2,223
Loc: Flipside
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Re: Restaurant lobby seeks to put ignition interlock provision on ice [Re: 5-HT2A]
#15756940 - 02/03/12 04:27 PM (3 months, 23 days ago) |
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If the resturants should be working on anything right now its legalizing weed
If they sold both bud and food their food sales would near double
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adamantasaurus
Stranger
Registered: 04/22/10
Posts: 89
Loc: 
Last seen: 18 days, 16 hours
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Re: Restaurant lobby seeks to put ignition interlock provision on ice [Re: Wise Toad]
#15757438 - 02/03/12 06:17 PM (3 months, 23 days ago) |
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I say instead of doing this half ass solution, we make cars that drive themselves and revamp the entire personal transportation system highways and all. Maybe put magnetic strips on all roads and the cars would have sensors to make sure they don't crash, the cars would never go over a "safe" speed. Something like that.
Oh wait we won't do that because were too busy building drone planes that can fly themselves to bomb entire cities in the middle east and spending all our money on weapons. 80% of Nasa's budget went to building weapons, so imagine if we had our priorities straight we could have colonized the moon, went to mars, had automated cars, and we could be exploring the universe by now......
BUT NO!!!!! WE WANT TO MAKE WAR ON EVERYTHING WE HATE, FREETHINKERS (DRUG USERS) DARKER PEOPLE (MUSLIMS), AND GAYS AND MEXICANS!!!
Get morons out of politics and everything else!!! and put them in a place where they won't hurt themselves or anyone else.
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CounterCulturest
-Positive Mental Attitude-
Registered: 01/18/10
Posts: 1,316
Loc: At yo door Nigga
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Re: Restaurant lobby seeks to put ignition interlock provision on ice [Re: adamantasaurus]
#15757520 - 02/03/12 06:30 PM (3 months, 23 days ago) |
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They have been doin this in the great ol Utah for since I can remember.
It's funny. My buddy and his dad own a mechanic shop and they occasionally get a car that has the interlock where you have to blown into. They both drink HEAVILY so in the mornings my friends dad asks his son to blow(in order to start the cars) because HE drank a lot the night before and will still blow numbers. Well. My friend also drank a shit ton so the both have to go eat lunch and wait it out till they are 100% alc free. lol
If you blow any number the car locks up for a solid 24 hours. They have locked up a few customers cars on acciden't-->morons 
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Wise Toad
Distorted Interpretation
Registered: 06/08/10
Posts: 2,223
Loc: Flipside
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Re: Restaurant lobby seeks to put ignition interlock provision on ice [Re: adamantasaurus]
#15757587 - 02/03/12 06:40 PM (3 months, 23 days ago) |
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I was thinking about this earlier today, self driving cars I mean, when I hear this same story on the radio
Once we have self driving cars though it will be so safe to the point of being boring, we will probably have to go through all kinds of regulations just to drive the car
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closet hippie
Stranger
Registered: 01/27/12
Posts: 73
Loc: Brisbane
Last seen: 2 months, 4 days
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Re: Restaurant lobby seeks to put ignition interlock provision on ice [Re: Wise Toad]
#15758015 - 02/03/12 08:33 PM (3 months, 23 days ago) |
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Yeah cars that can take over is the way to go, It only has to pull over I think it is Volvo that is on the verge of doing this. I was talking to the missus the other night about this, on the TV they were talking about booking people for speeding and talking on the mobile while driving now the other week it was peek hour traffic cars were at a stand still and a cop was hiding between pillion's under a bridge in the middle of the highway (dangerous) anyway they were obviously getting people on mobile phones now when the fuck was a death ever caused from a driver on a mobile in peek hour traffic ( they were just revenue raising not saving lives as they like to claim) same with them hiding after speed limits decreases getting you for speeding what bullshit most are killed on long stretches of road at a bend (in Australia anyway) but they are never checking speeds there. They are not saving lives they are revenue raising If they put all this money they make into funding car crash avoidance systems there would be 0 road fatalities.
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sk8ordude
Stranger
Registered: 07/12/11
Posts: 632
Last seen: 28 days, 5 hours
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Re: Restaurant lobby seeks to put ignition interlock provision on ice [Re: closet hippie]
#15758208 - 02/03/12 09:20 PM (3 months, 23 days ago) |
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Slippery slope, but at least this one has some practical benifits.
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MSebastianPatrick
Stranger
Registered: 12/27/11
Posts: 9
Last seen: 2 months, 27 days
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Re: Restaurant lobby seeks to put ignition interlock provision on ice [Re: focker919]
#15759116 - 02/04/12 04:46 AM (3 months, 23 days ago) |
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Gotta love that the restaurant lobby is the only one looking out for our civil liberties. If ths country mandates interlocks on all autos-I'm not staying to help. I'll totally move to Portugal w/ my fiance's family. That would be wayy too gestappo-esque: as if we're not now.
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