If you have been pulled over by a police officer or other law enforcement agent and subsequently arrested on suspicion of drunk driving, you may well feel very nervous and scared about what penalties you might experience. For many drivers, the ability to keep their driving license is of the utmost importance as this directly impacts their ability to get to and from work or school. The state’s laws do allow some people to use ignition interlock devices for this purpose.
How an ignition interlock device works
An IID locks a vehicle ignition until a person passes a breath test proving they are not drunk or impaired by alcohol. The philosophy behind these devices is that their use may prevent repeat offenses of impaired driving by a person arrested for these charges. What many people do not know about IIDs, however, is that even after test has been passed and a vehicle ignition has been started, a driver will still have to give more breath samples.
Rolling retests and distracted driving
Called rolling retests, these are prompted by the ignition interlock device system at random times so a driver never knows when to expect it. Car and Driver magazine reports that many accidents have been associated with a driver’s need to take a rolling retest while driving. These tests are a form of distracted driving.
If you would like to learn more about some of the unique issues you may face if you are arrested for a driving under the influence of intoxicants offense, please feel free to visit the ignition interlock device page of our Oregon criminal defense and DUII website.