Doctors, lawmakers & MADD push for ignition-control device

Mothers and medical experts gathered at an East Bay trauma center Friday to advocate for a bill that they say could save thousands of lives and help put an end to drunken driving.

The proposed legislation would require people convicted of driving under the influence to have breathalyzers installed in their vehicles to test blood alcohol content before they can turn on the ignition.

Current state law leaves it up to judges to decide whether the technology should be installed in a convicted drunken driver’s car.

State legislators, trauma doctors and representatives from Mothers Against Drunk Driving gathered at a news conference outside the John Muir Medical Center emergency department in Walnut Creek to support the legislation.

The bill, SB1046, would expand on a pilot program launched in 2010 that requires drunken-driving offenders to use car breathalyzers, known as ignition interlocks, in four counties:

According to data gathered by MADD, ignition interlocks have prevented nearly 150,000 attempts to drive while drunk since the pilot program began.

The driver’s blood alcohol content was over twice the legal limit, MADD says.