Over the past decade, states have increasingly turned to a powerful tool to stop drunken driving before it starts: miniature breathalyzers, wired into a car’s electronics, that prevent the engine from starting unless the person behind the wheel is sober enough to drive.
Cowan had just passed a test but dropped his interlock on the floor. Wanting it in easy reach for his next one, he distractedly fumbled for it, he told a police detective — and hit Butler’s car. She died a week later. A Pennsylvania driver trying to complete a test blew so hard that he blacked out and crashed into a tree, nearly severing his left hand. Another in rural New Hampshire struck a telephone pole. And in California, a man attempting a rolling retest on a busy highway crossed the dividing line and hit another car, badly injuring a woman and killing her husband.In 2005, New Mexico became the first state to require interlocks for everyone convicted of driving drunk.
That has created a lucrative industry. Smart Start, based in Texas, estimated its interlock revenue last year at around $150 million — nearly double its revenue from four years ago — according to its chief executive. Dräger, a German company that is among the leading manufacturers of breathalyzer machines, now makes twice as much money from interlocks in the United States as it does from its traditional breath-test business.
And state officials from Colorado said rolling retests would actually be safer in many situations, like tunnels and “congested environments with tight lanes and limited shoulders.” “There hasn’t really been much research in this area at all, and part of that is because, from what we understand and the evidence we’ve seen, the distraction issue isn’t really that big of an issue,” Kelly said.
Kelly said the crashes turned up in The Times’ review reflected just a sliver of the collisions caused by other distractions like changing a radio station, sipping a drink or toying with a cellphone. “The interlock allows people to go back out and live their normal lives, while protecting everyone else on the road,” Leotta said. “It’s saving lives. I think the positive impact significantly outweighs any potential risks.”
Mouthwash, toothpaste, breath mints and gum can trigger false positives. So can certain foods: Smart Start’s website warns drivers to avoid sugary snacks like doughnuts, cinnamon rolls and chocolate before blowing into their devices.