Driving under the influence of alcohol is a serious, and sometimes deadly, offense. This is why, in Pennsylvania, certain first time and repeat DUI offenders with high blood alcohol levels have their driver’s license suspended and are subject to the Ignition Interlock Law. This law states that these individuals must have an ignition interlock device installed in their vehicle as a condition of restoring their driving privileges with an ignition interlock license or ignition interlock limited license, or certify to PennDOT that they do not own, lease, or operate a vehicle. An ignition interlock device is a small breathalyzer that is installed in a vehicle to prevent it from starting, or continue running, if the driver’s breath alcohol concentration level exceeds the state’s limit. This technology has been touted as being preventative, rehabilitative, and generally cost-efficient.
 
During our tenure as chairmen of the House Transportation Committee, we have often been made aware of bureaucratic issues related to the complexity of our ignition interlock laws. For this reason, we have decided to introduce legislation to reform and simplify Pennsylvania’s DUI Ignition Interlock Program. Let us be clear: by no means does this proposal lessen the gravity of driving under the influence; we firmly believe that a DUI offense should have serious penalties. However, those penalties should not be held up due to overly complicated application procedures and bureaucratic red tape. It is common for drivers with ignition interlock devices to have these devices installed in their vehicles for longer than what has been ordered by the court, resulting in the loss of hundreds of dollars and employment opportunities, due to slow processing times for the associated paperwork.
 
Our legislation seeks to alleviate some of the problems with current law by making commonsense changes. First, this bill will simplify the law by creating a single Ignition Interlock Driver’s License (IIDL) which, except in cases where an individual was convicted of causing death or serious bodily injury, will not require a minimum term of suspension before application. Additionally, this legislation makes changes to cut down on the amount of time that it will take PennDOT to approve an application to receive an IIDL, gives eligible individuals more options to use when applying for an IIDL as current law only permits application by certified mail, and allows a person to initiate their application on the date that their court records are electronically filed with PennDOT. Furthermore, our legislation requires that any period in which a person holds a valid IIDL while serving their suspension will count toward satisfaction of the mandatory period of ignition interlock use that is imposed under law.
 
The processes surrounding ignition interlock devices need to be easier to understand, more accessible, and more efficient. We hope you will join us in our effort to improve our ignition interlock laws.