Advocates has called on the California Senate Appropriations Committee to advance Assembly Bill (AB) 366 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.
In 2023, 1,355 people were needlessly killed in drunk driving crashes on California roads 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. The Golden State has the second most drunk driving fatalities of any state.
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.
We urge the Committee to support and advance AB 366 to require this commonsense, lifesaving law to curb drunk driving.
Read the full letter here.
Prior actions in support of AB 366 include a letter to the Senate Public Safety Committee, a call to action to Assembly members, a letter to the Assembly Committee on Appropriations, a letter to the Assembly Committee on Public Safety and participation in a coalition letter.