Concerned about your child or loved one? Text a message to 55753 to get personalized help.
Ignition interlock systems in cars have prevented 1.77 million attempts at drunk driving since 1999, according to a new report by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).
The report, released Wednesday, is based on data from the 11 major manufacturers of ignition interlock systems, the Associated Press reports.
Ignition interlock devices are wired into vehicles. A person convicted of drunk driving must blow into the device to determine their blood alcohol concentration. The device has a preset level for blood alcohol concentration. If a person blows into it when they are over the set limit, the vehicle will not start.
The report found ignition interlocks have prevented 1.77 million attempts by a driver to drive with an illegal blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher, which is legally considered drunk driving in all states.
The system sends a signal back to the manufacturer with the results, which allows them to keep track of how many times the devices stop attempts at drunk driving, the article notes.
According to MADD, 25 states have laws that require ignition interlocks for anyone convicted of a drunk driving offense. All states have some type of ignition interlock law, but some require them only for certain levels of offenses and blood alcohol levels, or allow judges discretion.
“In the 25 states that don’t have all-offender ignition interlock laws, MADD calls on legislators to pass these lifesaving laws this year,” the organization stated in a news release.
The National Transportation Safety Board recommends that states require mandatory ignition interlock devices for first-time drunk driving offenders.
A study published in 2015 concluded that if all new cars had devices that prevent drunk drivers from starting the engine, an estimated 85 percent of alcohol-related deaths could be prevented in the United States.
+ 
James
I had one of these, and I never drank again after having it installed. However, that thing logged about 5 violations with my time using it. One time some spit went in to it, and it went off. Another time ice was like two inches thick on my windshield, and so I used ice melt stuff on it, which still let me start the car, but when I got down the road and had to do the second blow, I guess enough fumes came in to my car, which caused the horn and lights to start flashing on the interstate. Then my car needed some work, and disconnecting the battery got me another violation. I can go on and on. My point is, “How many of these reports are actually people driving drunk, or the company trying to justify its place?”
Annmarie Dallao
Do you know if they can do the same for DRUGED DRIVING?
Vicky Parker
This is a great way to deal with the problem of drinking and driving. I would love to see it on all cars everywhere. It would protect not only the other people on the road but the driver of any vehicle that just maybe doesn’t know if they are ok to drive. We could do away with drinking and driving! How great would that be? Maybe start as a insurance incentive.