There’s a growing number of states that are reaping the benefits of an all-offender ignition interlock law, and Colorado state is one of them. Colorado passed their ignition interlock law back in 2009, and since that time they’ve reported a decrease in drunk driving deaths overall.
But Colorado seems to be a state that likes to keep that positive momentum going, because they’ve recently put out a new bill that would add strengthen their driving under the influence law even more. House Bill 17-1288 would crack down on Colorado’s repeat drunk driving offenders by toughening up penalties for anyone who commits a class four felony DUI or has been charged with four DUIs in two years.
These penalties include jail time, and it’s not a light sentence. Anyone who meets the criteria for the new law would be required to spend a minimum of ninety days to a maximum of two years in jail. In addition to that, the repeat offender would be required to perform community service and they’d have to attend drug or alcohol classes.
According to Colorado’s all-offender ignition interlock law, any repeat offender in this situation would also be required to install an interlock for a period of four years. In addition to toughening up the jail time for these offenders, it might also be time for Colorado to add time to an every offender’s ignition interlock program.
Some states require anyone convicted of repeat offenses, whether that’s three, four, or five convictions, to install an ignition interlock device for ten years or, in some cases, a lifetime. An interlock is the only concrete prevention that can be used to stop someone from drunk driving over and over again, and when a repeat offender uses the device as directed by the courts or the DMV, he or she is much more likely to never drink and drive again.
House Bill 17-1288 is a good step in stopping repeat offenders, but an improved ignition interlock program with longer program times would also be a smart move in Colorado.