On Wednesday, the Kentucky Senate approved senate bill 85, sponsored by 3rd District Senator Whitney Westerfield, R-Hopkinsville, which would strengthen Kentucky’s drunk driving laws.
SB 85 would expand Kentucky’s ignition interlock law to apply to all drunk drivers and is supported by a diverse partnership that includes Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), prosecutors, traffic safety stakeholders, and state officials. The group has been working to update Kentucky’s ignition interlock program, which started in 2015 with legislation that requires repeat drunk driving offenders and first offenders with a .15 blood alcohol concentration (BAC) or higher to install the breathalyzer devices on any motor vehicles they operate.
“That law was an important step in Kentucky’s efforts to prevent drunk driving,” said MADD National President Helen Witty. “Now we want to expand the lifesaving benefits ignition interlocks to reach more offenders and stop the irreversible damage this violent, preventable crime causes to individuals and families.”
At a press conference in the Capitol on Wednesday, Sen. Westerfield explained that Senate Bill 85 would allow and incentivize ignition interlock devices for all DUI offenders and shift administration of the program from the courts to the Kentucky Department of Transportation, creating opportunities for increased federal funding.
The bill would also move Kentucky toward a more compliance-based model, in which DUI offenders would have to complete a 120-day period of sober driving before exiting the program.
The changes are intended to increase participation, reduce DUI recidivism and ensure consistent program administration among counties.
Westerfield applauded the group, which includes representatives from MADD, the Kentucky Distillers’ Association, the Coalition of Ignition Interlock Manufacturers, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, prosecutors and many others involved in traffic safety.
“This diverse group has come together to do what’s best for Kentucky,” said Sen. Westerfield, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee. “Senate Bill 85 is an example of effective criminal justice policy that will improve government efficiency, and most importantly, increase the safety of our state’s highways.”
Thirty-two states and Washington, D.C. already have some type of all-offender ignition interlock requirement in place.
A 2018 study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows that the number of impaired drivers in fatal crashes falls 16 percent when states require interlocks for all DUI offenders, including first offenders.
A compilation of studies reviewed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also revealed a 67 percent reduction in recidivism when ignition interlocks are used.
We hope Kentucky will experience similar positive impacts once the General Assembly passes this important legislation,” said Senator Morgan McGarvey.
In 2017, 24,576 individuals were convicted of DUI in Kentucky. Drunk drivers killed 154 people and injured 2,781 more – devastating Kentucky families and placing a high financial burden on the state’s judicial and healthcare systems.
Ignition interlock devices physically prevent drunk driving while allowing DUI offenders to remain mobile to work and care for family. They also change behavior without placing DUI offenders behind bars – shifting costs associated with impaired driving from taxpayers to offenders and increasing accountability.
SB 85 also places caps on fees charged by ignition interlock vendors and provides Low Income Assistance to those at 200 percent of poverty or less to ensure fair and equal access to the program.
“IIDs are an evidence-based best practice known for their ability to change behavior, reduce recidivism, and save lives,” said KDA President Eric Gregory. “Our signature industry offers full support to this impaired driving countermeasure because we know it is one that works.”
SB 85 now goes to the Kentucky House of Representatives for consideration.