Every single year, over 30,000 people in Missouri are arrested and charged with a DWI. Furthermore, over 300 deaths occur as a result of alcohol-related accidents every single year. The costs of these accidents, including injuries and property damage, cost hundreds of thousands of dollars every year.
Like most people, the lawmakers of Missouri do realize that people make mistakes, and sometimes those mistakes break the law. They also understand that even if a person is charged with a DWI, they want to take steps to fix the issue that caused the DWI in the first place, along with any other damages that may have occurred during the arrest. Lawmakers also realize that for DWI offenders in Missouri to turn their life around, they must have a way to go to their jobs, pick up their children, go to treatment meetings, etc. One way that DWI offenders have the opportunity to go back to living life as “normally” as possible is with an Ignition Interlock Device.
An Ignition Interlock Device or IID is a unit that can be installed onto the steering column or dashboard of a vehicle. Much like a breathalyzer, the user is required to blow air into it in order for the car to start. There must be a BAC (blood alcohol content) below a particular preset number, usually .02 to .03 percent, or the vehicle will not start.
Also, there will be random breath samples required while the car is being driven. This is to prevent someone sober from blowing into the device to start the car so a person that may be intoxicated can drive. The purpose of installing an Ignition Interlock Device in Missouri is to aid the DWI offender in getting to and from work or school. At the same time, he or she is completing requirements to get driving privileges reinstated.
If you are a Missouri resident and this is your first DWI conviction, it is up to the judge to decide of an IID may be installed in your vehicle or not. Usually, first-time offenders to not need an IID, but if your BAC was unusually high, or an accident resulted in injuries or death, the judge may require you to get one.
If you receive a second DWI, you will be required to have one installed in your car. (You may also lose all driving privileges for up to a year, and when you get the right to drive restored, the IID will be required.)
To get your Ignition Interlock Device in Missouri, you must make arrangements with a private company to install and maintain the device in your car at your expense. The IID installation is usually $200-$400, and the monthly maintenance fee is between $100-$200 every month. You are typically required to have an IID for a year. However, if you record over three intoxicated breaths, the time can stretch many more months.
Contact DWI Springfield, for more information on Missouri Ignition Interlock Devices, we’ve worked with many companies and can help you get the best deal on an IID.