What is an Ignition Interlock in Palm Beach County, Florida?

           If you are convicted of DUI, you may be required to install an ignition interlock device in your car.  What is an ignition interlock device?  It is a machine that you must install on your car's dashboard.  Before you start your car, you must blow into that machine.  If your blood-alcohol level is more than 0.05 percent, your car will not start.  

          Assuming your car does start, however, the ignition interlock device still requires you to blow into it at random times while you're driving.  Why?  In order to prevent you from having a sober friend or family member blow into the machine for you when you first get into your car so that you can drive away drunk.  

          If you do not blow into the ignition interlock device while you're driving, or if you blow into it and your blood-alcohol level is more than 0.05 percent, the machine will record that fact, and it will warn you that there is a problem by setting off an alarm (for example, your horn will begin honking or your lights will begin flashing).  You will then have to either turn off your car or else blow into the machine and have a blood-alcohol level less than 0.05 percent.

          There is a common misconception that your car engine turns off automatically if you do not blow into the ignition interlock device when required to do so while driving or if you blow into the machine and your blood-alcohol level is too high.  Your engine does not turn off automatically because that might cause you to have an accident, and that in turn might result in your suing the company that made the ignition interlock device which you installed in your car.

          If you have been arrested for DUI in West Palm Beach, Palm Beach, Belle Glade, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Jupiter, Lake Park, Lake Worth, Lantana, North Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Palm Springs, Riviera Beach, Royal Palm Beach, or Wellington, call me, attorney Ron Chapman, at 561-832-4348 to discuss your case and see how I might be able to help you.