If you're convicted of DWI or DUI in Hennepin or Beltrami County, Minnesota, you may be eligible for a reduction in your driver's license consequences if you agree to an Ignition Interlock System.
What Is an Ignition Interlock System?
An ignition interlock is a sophisticated system that tests for alcohol on a driver's breath. It is a device that requires a vehicle operator to blow into a small handheld alcohol sensor unit that is attached to a vehicle's dashboard. The car will not start if the blood alcohol concentration of the driver is above a preset level (usually .00 to .04 BAC). Alcohol safety interlocks that meet the standards issued by NHTSA not only require a test to start the engine, but also require a test every few minutes while driving (see the See NHTSA Conforming Products List and Technical Information Regarding Alcohol and Drug Law Enforcement Technology).
Called the "rolling or running retest," it prevents a friend from starting the car and then allowing an impaired driver from taking over the wheel (NHTSA guidelines call for only one subsequent test). With modern safeguards, alcohol safety interlocks are extremely difficult to circumvent when properly installed and monitored.
When used by the courts or state motor vehicle departments in conjunction with a monitoring, reporting, and support program, the ignition interlock system provides DWI offenders with an alternative to full license suspension. Its use has spread rapidly across the country and as of late 1999, 37 states have enacted legislation providing for its integration into the DWI adjudication and sentencing process. Currently in Minnesota, Ignition Interlock Device pilot projects are currently in place in Hennepin County and Beltrami County. To be eligible, the DWI or DUI offense must occur within either Hennepin County or Beltrami County and the offender must be a resident of the same county.