Ten thousand people are killed every year because of drunk driving, and Mothers Against Drunk Driving says one device can bring those numbers down.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) says ignition interlocks are saving lives around the country. In the last ten years, MADD found these devices have stopped nearly two million attempts by drunk drivers trying to start their cars.
Ignition interlock devices (IID) are breathalyzers that are installed in vehicles that prevents the car from starting until the driver’s blood alcohol content is below the legal limitt
Streaming its findings live through Periscope Wednesday, MADD outlined the data it has been collecting since 2006. A report titled "How Technology Has Stopped 1.77 Million Drunk Drivers" laid out the group's case for implementing IID laws for all drunk driving offenders around the country.
With state-by-state breakdowns on how IIDs stopped drinking and driving, MADD says interlock laws for every offender will do what license suspension cannot — keep a drink driver’s vehicle from going anywhere.
MADD says 25 states still don't have an "all-offender" ignition interlock law, and they're hoping the new numbers help legislators around the country crack down on anyone driving drunk.
In addition to stopping drivers whose blood alcohol content made them legally drunk, MADD says ignition locks have also stopped drivers with lower levels of alcohol in their systems more than 12.5 million times.
