In California supports advancing Assembly Bill (AB) 1830 to make permanent the ignition interlock device (IID) pilot program and upgrade the law to require the use of IIDs by all convicted drunk drivers, including first time offenders. We urge the state to join the majority of states which have made their streets and highways safer by enacting an all-offender IID law.
Drunk driving is a deadly and costly threat to California families. In 2023, 1,355 people were needlessly killed in drunk driving crashes in California according to the most recent data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This is a 40 percent increase in drunk driving fatalities compared to 2019 and accounted for 33 percent of all traffic fatalities that year, which exceeds the national average of 30 percent.
States that have adopted IID laws for all offenders are saving lives, reducing injuries and preventing drunk driving recidivism. For example, when West Virginia adopted its IID program, recidivism was reduced by 77 percent among first time offenders.
Advance AB 1830 to require this commonsense, lifesaving law to curb drunk driving.
Read the full letter here.