Drunken Driving Vehicle Devices In Iowa To Require Cameras

Iowa drivers ordered to use an ignition interlock device to operate their vehicles will need that device to be equipped with a camera when Iowa law changes later this year. The change will align Iowa with most neighboring states in discouraging that another person starts the vehicle for an impaired driver.

The change won't keep the vehicle from starting, but in such cases, the company that owns the interlock device will notify the Iowa Department of Transportation that someone else blew into the equipment to start the vehicle, The Des Moines Register reported. The vehicle's operator could then lose temporary or restricted driving privileges and face criminal charges for tampering with the device.

Interlock devices typically are court ordered following a drunken driving conviction. The equipment requires the driver to blow into a tube that records the blood-alcohol content. The vehicle will not start if alcohol is detected.

In Iowa, first-time offenders are only required to install a device if they recorded a blood-alcohol content of 0.10 (above the legal limit of 0.08) or if they were involved in an accident. Ignition interlock devices are mandatory for subsequent offenses in Iowa for one year.

All states have some ignition interlock device laws in effect; 25 states require the devices be installed on vehicles for all drunk driving infractions. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has urged all states to adopt ignition interlock and a set period of use for all convicted drunk drivers.

Nebraska, Minnesota, Missouri, Illinois, North Dakota and South Dakota are among states that currently require camera-equipped ignition interlock devices. At least two other states, Arizona and Ohio, will adopt the camera requirement in 2018.

In 2016, the most recent year for which data is available, Iowa had 89 alcohol-related auto fatalities. A coalition formed to combat alcohol-related fatalities has proposed changes that would strengthen Iowa's laws for usage of interlock devices, including making it required for anyone arrested for drunken driving.

Image via StockSnap/Pixabay