Life-saving DUI reform one step from becoming law

House vote moves it to the governor’s desk for consideration

March 11, 2008

OLYMPIA – Legislators gave final approval to drunken driving reform designed to get results, possibly saving more than 80 lives a year.

The new law is built around ignition interlock technology, which detects alcohol in a driver’s system and prevents a vehicle from starting.  New Mexico passed similar legislation in 2005 and has seen a 30 percent reduction in drunken driving fatalities.  In 2006 numbers, here in Washington, that could have been more than 80 lives saved.

Rep. Roger Goodman, D-Kirkland, prime sponsor of the legislation, has been working on the issue with other legislators since the end of last year’s legislative session.

“To me, drunken driving is the biggest public safety threat facing our communities,” Goodman said.  “Every night people roam our roadways impaired, passing us as we drive our children home from soccer practice.”

“These are preventable tragedies and this bill will save families from needless heartbreak.”

Current law suspends the licenses of DUI offenders, but the vast majority of them drive without a license anyway, around 75 percent.   Drivers without licenses are particularly dangerous on Washington’s roads, involved in 20 percent of all fatal crashes each year.

Goodman’s ignition interlock device proposal, House Bill 3254, would create a provisional license for drunken drivers who get an alcohol-detecting device installed in their vehicle.  This would allow them to drive legally, but with the knowledge that if they have any alcohol in their system, their car will go nowhere.

“Our approach to DUI offenders to this point hasn’t worked,” Goodman said.  “The state has made progress, but it was important to take action this session on this innovative solution to monitoring known drunken drivers.”

“Looking back, it just wasn’t sensible to expect people willing to drive drunk and break the law, to then respect the courts telling them they can’t drive for a year. “

“Now we can get tough on drunken drivers, but also get smart to save lives.”