Wednesday, November 6, 2024
The Latest DUI News and Information From DUI Defense Attorneys Across the Country

Ignition Interlocks Reportedly Causing Injuries and Death

Interlock Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The Portsmouth, Virginia CBS affiliate television station, WAVY, has reported that ignition interlock devices may be the cause of injures and death on the roadways.  Not only are false positives a problem for those using the devices, but distractions from the alerts and blowing into the devices while driving have caused crashes.

According to the news report posted May 16, 2019, the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles indicates that the number of crashes due to the device has gone up from 407 in 2012 to 678 in 2016.  That is an increase of 67% in 4 years!

The news report quotes Shelia Dunn with the National Motorist Association about the situation. She was reported as stating, “It can be deadly. A woman in Texas was killed in 2017 because of it. She was pulling out of her driveway and a man was trying to blow into his device and he ran into her.”  Interestingly, when the television station inquired about such problems, the Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program (VASAP) declined to comment about any personal stories about interlock or to participate in an on-camera interview.

These problems are not limited to the Commonwealth of Virginia.  There are many problems with these devices all across the country.  While it is undisputed that ignition interlocks provide the benefits of some safeguards against drinking and driving, there has been little effort to deal with the dangers of using these devices while on the roadway.  Users of these devices should contact the legislators in their home states to request appropriate changes in the legal requirements for ignition interlocks used in their state.  Let’s not forget the primary purpose of these devices is to keep our roads safe.

About the Author: Steven Oberman has been licensed in Tennessee since 1980, and successfully defended over 2,500 DUI defendants.  Among the many honors bestowed upon him, Steve served as Dean of the National College for DUI Defense, Inc. (NCDD) and currently serves as chair of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers DUI Committee.  Steve was the first lawyer in Tennessee to be Board Certified as a DUI Defense Specialist by the NCDD.

He is the author of DUI: The Crime & Consequences in Tennessee, updated annually since 1991 (Thomson-West), and co-author with Lawrence Taylor of the national treatise, Drunk Driving Defense, 8th edition (Wolters Kluwer/Aspen).  Steve has served as an adjunct professor at the University of Tennessee Law School since 1993 and has received a number of prestigious awards for his faculty contributions.  He is a popular international speaker, having spoken at legal seminars in 30 states, the District of Columbia and three foreign countries.  In 2019, he was honored to be named a Fulbright Scholar and taught at the University of Latvia Law School as an Adjunct Professor during the Spring Semester in 2019.

If you would like to contact the author, please visit his website.

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Steve Oberman

Since graduating from the University of Tennessee Law School in 1980, Mr. Oberman has become established as a national authority on the intricacies of DUI defense law. Steve is a former Dean of the National College for DUI Defense, co-author of a national treatise ("Drunk Driving Defense" published by Aspen/Wolters-Kluwer), and author of "DUI: The Crime and Consequences in Tennessee" (published by Thomson-Reuters/West). He has taught thousands of lawyers, judges, and members of the general public about the intricacies of this crime. Steve was selected as a Fulbright Scholar to teach American Criminal Law and American Trial Advocacy at the University of Latvia School of Law in 2019; in 2023 taught for a semester as a visiting professor at Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) Faculty of Law in Budapest, Hungary; and as a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Ljubljana Faculty of Law in 2024. Steve has also presented at a number of judicial conferences in the United States and Canada as well as for law enforcement agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Czech Republic Police Academy. As a Tennessee DUI attorney, Mr. Oberman has successfully defended over two thousand clients charged with Driving Under the Influence of alcohol and/or drugs. In 2006, Mr. Oberman became the first DUI lawyer in Tennessee to be recognized by the National College for DUI Defense as a Board Certified Specialist in the area of DUI Defense law.

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