— Our Delegate Kevin Kelly seems to think that people convicted of drunk driving in Maryland are getting their “kneecaps broken” if they have to install a breathalyzer ignition device on their vehicle if it’s only a first offense.
In speaking at a hearing of the Maryland House Judiciary Committee, our delegate gave the example of someone who gets pulled over after having four beers to celebrate a Super Bowl victory.
Kelly asked, “Why do you want to break my kneecaps?” “I just kind of feel we’re going going crazy on this.”
Lets put this in perspective.
Drunk driving is dangerous for every motorist including the intoxicated one, whether it’s four beers after a game or 12 whiskeys for no reason. An ignition overlock device is not jail or even losing driving privileges. And the cost of installing it may be less than any fine that can already be imposed for a drunk driving conviction.
And it’s not as if the police will randomly pull people over if they are driving properly. Most arrests and convictions for drunk driving come from the police simply observing a driver having trouble controlling his vehicle.
If your driving is so erratic after four beers that a policeman pulls you over, you shouldn’t be driving. And if you didn’t realize that before you got behind the wheel, chances are you’re not a four beers during a game drinker who had the dumb luck of getting caught the one time you had only four beers.
In my opinion, Delegate Kelly is wrong about not needing to make it mandatory that ignition overlocks be installed on cars owned by convicted drunk drivers. This “penalty” would last 6 months or a year. It’s a not a great imposition since, if you’re sober, you’ll barely know the interlock is there.
And if you’re intoxicated and try to start the car, the state is doing you a favor by warning you that you’re too impaired to drive safely (subsequent offenses can result in jail under current law). The other option is for people convicted of drunk driving, even for a first offense, to lose driving privileges for a month or six.
This device can take problem drinkers off our roads and give the occasionally over-indulger a heads-up that it’s time to call a friend for a safe ride home.
Raymond Schneider
Frostburg
Letters
Ignition overlock is a better alternative to drinking, driving
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