Tennessee Makes Progress to Strengthen Mandatory Ignition Interlocks and Improve DUI Conviction Reporting
Tennessee is making great strides towards strengthening the punishment for DUI offenders. A bill that would require an ignition interlock device for 120 for second-time DUI offenders has passed the Tennessee House of Representatives. The bill would also require that DUI arrest and conviction records be shared with every Tennessee court and judge immediately. The Mississippi House has passed a similar bill that would mandate ignition interlock devices for first-time offenders. The sharing of arrest and conviction records would make sure that judges are aware of the multiple arrests and convictions of the person who is before them in their court and charged with DUI. If the judge is unaware of their prior record, they can only be charged with a first offense.
The impetus for this bill came from a deadly accident caused by Melandus Preston, 32, of Belden Mississippi. Preston had the distinction of five different first-time DUI convictions. He was out on bond for his sixth DUI conviction last May when He crashed into the back of a van that was traveling on Highway 78 in Marshall County Mississippi. The passengers in the van included four students from Briarcrest Christian School, who were on their way to the beach. Students Maddie Kruse and Rachel Lynch, both 17-year-old students were killed in the crash. Preston was charged with two counts of DUI Death, and he is being held on a $3 million bond.
Because the municipalities failed to share Preston’s previous DUI arrest and conviction records, each subsequent officer charged him with a first offense DIU. This new bill would make sharing arrest and conviction records with the FBIs National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database, which can be accessed from every police squad car in America.
Strengthening ignition interlock laws saves lives by decreasing the number of alcohol-related crash deaths. According to Reuters Health, there is a 15 percent drop in alcohol-related crash deaths in states that require convicted drunk drivers to install an ignition interlock device when compared to states without that requirement. An Ignition interlock device is a breathalyzer that is built into the vehicle. Before the car cab be started, the driver must breathe into the breath analyzer. If it registers above.02 grams per deciliter, the car will not start. According to the National Conference of State Legislators, there are 23 states that now require mandatory ignition interlock devices for drunk driving convictions.
Elinore Kaufman, a lead author of the study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and published in the American Journal of Public Health said, “Between 2004 and 2013 more than 900 lives were saved, and if every state had this law it would be 2,600 lives.”
Of course, ignition interlock devices are not to final solution because the convicted drunk driver can still drink and drive, but they will just have to use another vehicle. Ignition interlocks do reduce the incidence of drunk driving, but it is by no means the ultimate solution to the problem.
If you are facing DUI charges in Tennessee, you would do well to contact one of our competent, Franklin DUI attorneys from the Law Offices of Adrian H. Altshuler & Associates right away. We answer questions and advise you of your rights based on the circumstances of your case. Contact us today and schedule a consultation at our office in Franklin, Brentwood or Columbia.