State Representative Gerald Fox III (D-Stamford) speaks at the Mothers Against Drunk Driving annual Community Champions dinner. Fox, House Chair of the Legislature's Judiciary Committee, was recognized with MADD's Public Policy Award for his work in strengthening Connecticut’s drunk driving laws by requiring mandatory ignition interlock devices for repeat offenders. Fox was joined by fellow honoree Speaker of the House Christopher G. Donovan (D-Meriden)
State Representative Gerald Fox III (D-Stamford) was recently recognized by Mothers Against Drunk Driving for his work in passing legislation strengthening Connecticut’s drunk driving laws by requiring mandatory ignition interlock devices for repeat offenders. Fox was presented with MADD’s Public Policy Award at their annual Community Champions dinner held earlier this month in New Haven.
The new law requires all repeat DUI offenders to have ignition interlocks installed in their automobiles once the automatic drivers’ license suspension period ends. Many states, with support from MADD, are moving towards shorter suspension periods, followed by lengthy, mandatory ignition interlock device (IID) periods.
“Research shows that license suspensions do little to reduce repeat drunk driving because most offenders drive anyway,” said Fox, House Chairman of the Legislature’s Judiciary Committee. “Mandatory ignition interlocks will save more lives than anything we have done to address drunk driving to date.”
An IID is an electronic breathalyzer connected to the ignition of a vehicle that measures breath alcohol concentration and prevents a driver from starting the vehicle if the driver’s blood alcohol content (BAC) exceeds .08 percent. A random retest is intermittently required while the car is in operation.
“This is a real win for public safety and reducing drunk driving,” said MADD Connecticut Executive Director Janice Heggie Margolis. “It allows people to to continue doing what they need to do, whether it is going to work, taking their children to school or getting their groceries - but they just can't do it drinking and driving.”
Connecticut already utilizes the technology, though it is only mandatory for a very small number of the most chronic offenders. Only about 450 offenders are in the program today, while there are 3,000-4,000 repeat offenders every year. Numerous studies on IID use for repeat offenders show a reduction of recidivism between 50-95 percent.
In 2009, 44 percent of all traffic fatalities in the state were alcohol related, ranking Connecticut as the nation’s second worst offender. IID use in New Mexico has resulted in a 38% reduction in alcohol-related traffic fatalities and in Arizona, a 33% reduction.
