No one said it would be easy to have an ignition interlock device installed in your vehicle, but it is a privilege you may receive after making the mistake of drinking and driving. After all, in many states you can’t drive a car for a long time after a driving under the influence (DUI) charge without one.
Although it can be looked at as more of a privilege than a penalty, that doesn’t mean that some offenders don’t try to find a way around them. Many will stop after searching for ‘how to cheat an ignition interlock’ on the Web and coming up empty, while others will take more extreme measures. At least that’s what happened in Auburn, Massachusetts recently when one man managed to override his ignition interlock device, and it’s landed him in hot water.
Using an external drive of some kind, the man managed to bypass his ignition interlock and got behind the wheel drunk. But just because he managed to drive without his ignition interlock doesn’t mean the police aren’t keeping their eyes out for drunk drivers—after swerving and speeding on a highway at 3 am, he was pulled over by police.
He failed field sobriety tests and was arrested for his third offense of drunk driving and for tampering with his ignition interlock device, and at that point he was probably given a quick update by the officers about the penalties for tampering with one. Each driver who receives an ignition interlock in Massachusetts is required to sign an Ignition Interlock Operator’s Affidavit. As part of that affidavit, you agree to be held liable for violating your agreement, and the penalties are so severe you have to wonder what he was thinking when he tampered with it.
The simple act of not using the ignition interlock device when you’re supposed to will net you possible criminal penalties plus a maximum of 10 years driver’s license suspension. Tampering with the ignition interlock will land you in the house of correction for at least 6 months or the state prison for a minimum of 3 years.
Maybe this man’s example will deter anyone else who is thinking about tampering with an ignition interlock device. You might manage to drive away, but it will catch up with you in the end.