Advocates supports advancing Assembly Bill (A.) 2703/Senate Bill (S.) 2517 to upgrade the ignition interlock device (IID) law to require IID use by convicted Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) offenders as a condition of license reinstatement and close a loophole in current law to curb drunk driving. This safety upgrade is critical and timely.
Drunk driving is a deadly and costly threat to New York families. In 2023, 325 people were needlessly killed in drunk driving crashes in New York, accounted for 29 percent of traffic fatalities, according to the most recent data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). These tragic, preventable crashes also create a national financial burden of $69 billion in economic costs in 2019. When updated for inflation only that equates to $87.1 billion in 2025 dollars. Clearly, this is a serious issue which requires urgent attention and the effective solution of increasing IID utilization.
Read the full suppor letter here.