When California Drunk Driving Offenders Skip The Interlock

California drunk driving offenders have added a level of violence to some of the busiest roadways in the entire country, and it’s hard to believe how bad the DUI crashes have been. In a state where a drunk driver crashed into and killed a pedestrian, embedding him in the windshield before driving home, any type of drunk driving scenario seems possible.

Tulare County has seen their fair share of these drunk drivers, and that might be why the county took part in the ignition interlock pilot program and requested that the program be extended. Thankfully California has passed an ignition interlock law that will take effect in 2019, because one recent case shows exactly why California drunk driving offenders need to be kept off the roads.

A repeat offender from Visalia was convicted of DUI in 2014. Because Tulare County had their ignition interlock pilot program in place, he was required to install an ignition interlock. He was also ordered to attend DUI classes and was put on probation.

Just like he made the choice to drink and drive, he made the choice not to install his ignition interlock and he skipped his court-ordered DUI classes too. Because he didn’t have the ignition interlock to stop him he drove drunk again, this time crashing into another vehicle head on and killing one woman while also injuring five other people.

He’s probably wishing he had installed the ignition interlock, because he’s taken a life and he’s now going to be spending 15 years in state prison. He’s not the only repeat offender who’s decided to skip the interlock, and just like all states who pass an all offender law, compliance is one of the many issues California will have to face when interlocks are required in 2018.

Until that point police have their hands full with these drunk drivers, and they can only hope that a situation like this doesn’t happen again before that point.