Drunk Driving Laws Change in Connecticut

Always dangerous and illegal, drunk driving is now also more expensive in and throughout the state.

When the clock struck midnight on New Year’s Day, along with the new year, it rang in new drunk driving laws in the Nutmeg State.

Beginning Jan. 1, drivers convicted for their first drunk driving offense in Connecticut will be required to install an ignition interlock device on their vehicle for a year. This device requires the driver to blow into it, like a breathalyzer, before the car will start.

A conviction includes a 45-day license suspension, down from the previous one-year suspension.

 Chief Douglas Fuchs, who is also President of the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association, said he believes the new law will help curb drunk driving violations.

“I would equate this device to placing a speed hump on a road on which speeding is an issue,” Fuchs said. “It is very difficult to speed over the hump and much more difficult to operate a vehicle when an [ignition interlock device] is required.”

According to a representative from Sens-O-Lock of America, a company which manufactures interlock devices, installing the device costs $100 and there is a $75 monthly charge to rent it. Furthermore, the device needs to be recalibrated every other month for $20. According to the Department of Motor Vehicles, there’s also a $100 administration fee to install the device.

Connecticut joins 15 other states which require installation of the device after a first conviction of drunk driving with a blood alcohol content of over .08, according to Mothers Against Drunk Driving. There are 13 states which require installation of the device for drivers convicted with BACs over .15.

According to the DMV, a driver’s second drunk driving conviction requires installation of the interlock device for three years. A second conviction also results in a license suspension of 45 days.

Prior to Jan. 1, a second second drunk-driving conviction meant a license suspension of a year and the installation of the device for two years. 

According to MADD, interlock devices reduce DUI recidivism by 67 percent.