At some point, don’t lawmakers just look at a proposed bill and say, “Yea, that makes too much sense!”
That’s where we sit with proposed legislation passed by the state Senate Thursday that would expand the use of ignition interlock devices for more drunk driving offenders.
The Senate voted 50-0 Thursday to send the bill to the state House of Representatives with three remaining scheduled session days for the House to approve the legislation and push the bill to the governor’s desk.
Interlock devices require drivers to blow into the device before the ignition will work. If there is too much alcohol on their breath, the vehicle won’t start.
Why did it take so long to act on legislation that was introduced last year by state Sen. John Rafferty, R-Montgomery, who is chairman of the important Senate Transportation Committee?
Under this bill, ignition interlocks would be required for one year for first-time convicted drunk drivers with an illegal blood alcohol concentration of 0.10 or greater. This is a law 31 states have in place for at least some first-time offenders.
A 2003 Pennsylvania law already requires the devices for repeat drunk-driving offenders for one year. Cost isn’t a factor, because the motorist involved pays the fees.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says studies have shown that repeat drunk-driving decreases by about two-thirds when the devices are used. In 2013 interlocks in place for repeat drunk-driving offenders in the state blocked 50,000 attempts to drive by motorists who had been drinking, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
Logic — and statistics — support the implementation of interlock devices. Rafferty said that states requiring all convicted drunk drivers to use an ignition interlock have reduced their DUI deaths by more than 33 percent. For the record, Mothers Against Drunk Driving reported that 408 people died in 2012 because of drunk drivers in Pennsylvania.
Saving any of those drivers, is proof enough that this is a law that makes sense.
Our question is, what took so long?
That’s where we sit with proposed legislation passed by the state Senate Thursday that would expand the use of ignition interlock devices for more drunk driving offenders.
The Senate voted 50-0 Thursday to send the bill to the state House of Representatives with three remaining scheduled session days for the House to approve the legislation and push the bill to the governor’s desk.
Interlock devices require drivers to blow into the device before the ignition will work. If there is too much alcohol on their breath, the vehicle won’t start.
Why did it take so long to act on legislation that was introduced last year by state Sen. John Rafferty, R-Montgomery, who is chairman of the important Senate Transportation Committee?
Under this bill, ignition interlocks would be required for one year for first-time convicted drunk drivers with an illegal blood alcohol concentration of 0.10 or greater. This is a law 31 states have in place for at least some first-time offenders.
A 2003 Pennsylvania law already requires the devices for repeat drunk-driving offenders for one year. Cost isn’t a factor, because the motorist involved pays the fees.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says studies have shown that repeat drunk-driving decreases by about two-thirds when the devices are used. In 2013 interlocks in place for repeat drunk-driving offenders in the state blocked 50,000 attempts to drive by motorists who had been drinking, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
Logic — and statistics — support the implementation of interlock devices. Rafferty said that states requiring all convicted drunk drivers to use an ignition interlock have reduced their DUI deaths by more than 33 percent. For the record, Mothers Against Drunk Driving reported that 408 people died in 2012 because of drunk drivers in Pennsylvania.
Saving any of those drivers, is proof enough that this is a law that makes sense.
Our question is, what took so long?
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