Over the past few months, Florida’s legislators have been considering enacting a new bill in order to reduce the amount of drunk drivers on the streets and deaths caused by drunk driving accidents.
The new bill would require first time offenders of DUIs to install Ignition Interlock Devices (IID) in their vehicles. The IID acts as a breathalyzer, and drivers must first pass the breathalyzer test before the vehicle will start. For first time DUI offenders, the IID would be installed on the vehicle for six months.
Currently, first time DUI offenders in the state of Florida must have had a blood alcohol level of 0.15 or higher to qualify for an IID, but the new bill would significantly lower this number in order to keep more drunk drivers off the road.
The bill is still controversial, specifically the price tag needed to operate IIDs: approximately $80 a month per vehicle.
“We need to do what we can to curb that behavior, and make sure we have fewer victims that just go out innocently to drive on our roads,” said Rep. Scott Plakon (R-Longwood).