Understanding Breath Alcohol Ignition Interlock Devices

 Posted on July 02, 2019 in Uncategorized

Illinois drivers who are caught driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) are subject to an automatic suspension of their driver’s license. Failing a blood alcohol content (BAC) test will cause a first-time DUI offender to lose his or her ability to legally drive for six months through a statutory summary suspension. A DUI offender who refuses a Breathalyzer test or a person who fails a test for the second time will have their license suspended for 12 months.

However, there are a few ways you can regain your ability to drive after being charged with a DUI. One way is through a Monitoring Device Driving Permit (MDDP) and another is through a Restricted Driving Permit (RDP). Both of these permits allows a person convicted of a DUI to regain their ability to legally drive before the end of the license suspension. In order to qualify for either of these special permits, you must have a Breath Alcohol Ignition Interlock Device (BAIID) installed on your vehicle.

How Does a Breath Alcohol Ignition Interlock Device Work?

Much like the Breathalyzer tests used by police, a BAIID is a device which a driver blows into. The device can measure the amount of alcohol in a person’s breath and use that information to determine the person’s blood alcohol content (BAC). Those with a BAIID installed in their vehicle must blow into the device in order to start their car. If the BAIID senses more than a tiny amount of alcohol in the person’s breath, the vehicle’s ignition is disabled. The car then cannot be started for a period of time called a “lock-out period.”

Do Not Try to Trick a BAIID

Some DUI offenders who have a BAIID installed in their vehicle may attempt to fool the device in some way so that they can drive with alcohol in their system. However, the device is very sophisticated and there is almost no way a person could get away with this. BAIIDs are equipped with a camera which takes a photograph of the person blowing into the device, so having a non-drinking friend blow into the device for you will certainly be detected. Using non-human sources of air also will not work.

Tampering with a BAIID or trying to fool the device so you can drive with a nonzero BAC will lead to further criminal charges. If a DUI offender participating in the BAIID program is caught driving a vehicle that does not have a BAIID device installed, he or she can be found guilty of a Class 4 felony.

Contact a Will County DUI Lawyer

To learn more about how to regain your driving privileges after a DUI or for other legal assistance regarding DUI charges, speak with a Joliet DUI defense attorney. Call 815-740-4025 to schedule a free consultation at the Law Offices of Jack L. Zaremba, P.C. today.