Ignition locks proposed to curb state’s drunken drivers - SFGate:
"People convicted of drunken driving in California soon may have to blow in a tube to prove they’re sober before their vehicle will start.
State Sen. Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, wants to expand a program already in place in four California counties, including Alameda, and 24 other states.
Under the proposed state law Hill will introduce Monday, anyone convicted of driving under the influence would be required to install an ignition interlock device in their car for six months on a first offense and a year on a second conviction.
Drunken drivers kill 1,000 people in California each year and injure 20,000, Hill said, and research shows people convicted of drunken driving are rarely doing it for the first time:
Repeat offenders account for one-third of annual convictions in the state.
Hill has a personal reason for proposing the measure.
Thirty years ago, his best friend was killed by a drunken driver.
He said he was also moved to act when he read a story a few years ago about a man arrested for his ninth DUI who still had a license.
...Under the legislation, an offender would have to pay to install and lease the device.
If he or she cannot afford it, the company that owns the devices would help pay.
The devices generally cost about $100 for installation and $50 to $100 a month to lease them."
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