Life changes when you have a driving under the influence (DUI) conviction on record. You spend hours arranging court dates, hundreds of dollars paying fines, and you may need to install an ignition interlock device, also known as a car breathalyzer, in your vehicle. Although you can’t change your conviction, you can ease the transition and successfully complete your interlock device program if you know what to expect from the beginning.
How Does A Car Breathalyzer Work?
An ignition interlock or car breathalyzer prevents drunk drivers from driving their vehicle. The device is connected to your vehicle, and it has a preset level for blood alcohol concentration (BAC) determined by your state. This is typically very low, so any alcohol or even using alcohol containing products can cause a test failure. If you blow into it when you are over the set limit, your vehicle won’t start.
All car breathalyzers must meet or exceed both local and state regulations as well as National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) standards. If your car breathalyzer detects alcohol above the limit, your interlock device will lock your vehicle for a period of time determined by your state – usually between 5 to 30 minutes. Once that time has passed, you can test again. If you fail the test once more, the device will lock your vehicle down for a longer period of time.
What happens if you fail a rolling retest?
If your state requires it, you may be asked to blow into your car breathalyzer when your vehicle is in motion or for a ‘rolling retest’. If you fail the rolling retest, your vehicle will sound its alarm or horn and lights will flash until you pull over and turn off the engine. IT WILL NOT SHUT THE CAR OFF. Instead, you will need to pull over to a safe location when you can, turn off your vehicle and re-test to re-start it.
The Guardian Interlock is small, compact, and easy to use, and although it looks like a simple device, there is software built in to prevent cheating the ignition interlock. When you blow into your car breathalyzer, all information will be sent wirelessly to the court on a weekly or daily basis.
When you have an interlock installed, you will need to make adjustments to your daily routines. The first 30 days are usually the most difficult. As one of our customers reviewed, “Larry the installer was courteous, knowledgeable and efficient. After installation he demonstrated how to use the interlock. It seems to be sensitive to air pressure used and ‘hum quality’, what ever that is. Don’t be in a hurry and keep and eye out for prompts to blow while you drive. Good luck.”