Ignition interlock devices, which require drivers to blow into a machine to prove they’re sober before their vehicles will start, have been used in Florida for over a decade. However, Florida driving under the influence (DUI) recidivism rates are high, and many wonder if it’s time to try something new.
According to CBSMiami, the Florida Department of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles reports that about 10 percent of all drivers convicted of DUI and ordered into the ignition interlock program received subsequent DUIs – and about 1,000 of those occurred while the person was still in the program.
Jacksonville is one of the first major cities in Florida to begin testing the 24/7 Sobriety program. It requires drivers to test their breath at least twice a day and to submit to random urinalysis or continuous-monitoring devices, such as drug patches or ankle bracelets.
The goal of the 24/7 Sobriety program is abstinence. The question is, will it work better than ignition interlock devices – and possibly replace them?
Why Change Systems?
That’s what many Floridians are asking. While ignition interlock devices have been used in Florida for over a decade, other states have had success with other programs such as 24/7 Sobriety, and legislators are intrigued.
Bill Mickelson, the former Deputy State Attorney General of South Dakota, helped to create the 24/7 Sobriety program in 2005. It resulted in a 12 percent reduction in the number of DUI repeat offenders in South Dakota. Since then, North Dakota and Montana have instituted the program and have also had success.
Now a private consultant, Mickelson came to Florida to see if legislators would be willing to give it a try. As it turns out, they were.
The program, outlined in HB 7005, was unanimously approved by Florida’s House Economic Affairs Committee and gives judges the right to determine whether to use the current ignition interlock method or try the 24/7 Sobriety program.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Northeast Florida Safety Council (NFSC) began a pilot program this month in a nine-county region that includes Jacksonville. The program focuses on frequent testing paired with immediate consequences for those who fail the breath tests. That generally means jail time as follows:
1st offense: 12 hours of jail time.
2nd offense: 24 hours of jail time.
3rd offense: Appearance before a judge and likely incarceration.
Drivers ordered into the program may also have to participate in other programs, including rehab or counseling, required separately for some DUI offenders. Sue Holley, NFSC’s executive director, believes that abstinence-based programs such as 24/7 Sobriety better address the underlying issues of maintaining sobriety and avoid drunk driving car accidents that frequently result in serious injury or death.
Ignition interlock devices, which require drivers to blow into a machine to prove they’re sober before their vehicles will start, have been used in Florida for over a decade. However, Florida driving under the influence (DUI) recidivism rates are high, and many wonder if it’s time to try something new.
According to CBSMiami, the Florida Department of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles reports that about 10 percent of all drivers convicted of DUI and ordered into the ignition interlock program received subsequent DUIs – and about 1,000 of those occurred while the person was still in the program.
Jacksonville is one of the first major cities in Florida to begin testing the 24/7 Sobriety program. It requires drivers to test their breath at least twice a day and to submit to random urinalysis or continuous-monitoring devices, such as drug patches or ankle bracelets.
The goal of the 24/7 Sobriety program is abstinence. The question is, will it work better than ignition interlock devices – and possibly replace them?
Why Change Systems?
That’s what many Floridians are asking. While ignition interlock devices have been used in Florida for over a decade, other states have had success with other programs such as 24/7 Sobriety, and legislators are intrigued.
Bill Mickelson, the former Deputy State Attorney General of South Dakota, helped to create the 24/7 Sobriety program in 2005. It resulted in a 12 percent reduction in the number of DUI repeat offenders in South Dakota. Since then, North Dakota and Montana have instituted the program and have also had success.
Now a private consultant, Mickelson came to Florida to see if legislators would be willing to give it a try. As it turns out, they were.
The program, outlined in HB 7005, was unanimously approved by Florida’s House Economic Affairs Committee and gives judges the right to determine whether to use the current ignition interlock method or try the 24/7 Sobriety program.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Northeast Florida Safety Council (NFSC) began a pilot program this month in a nine-county region that includes Jacksonville. The program focuses on frequent testing paired with immediate consequences for those who fail the breath tests. That generally means jail time as follows:
Drivers ordered into the program may also have to participate in other programs, including rehab or counseling, required separately for some DUI offenders. Sue Holley, NFSC’s executive director, believes that abstinence-based programs such as 24/7 Sobriety better address the underlying issues of maintaining sobriety and avoid drunk driving car accidents that frequently result in serious injury or death.