Motorists found guilty of a first drunken driving offense in four California counties will be required to install and use breathalyzers in their cars for five months, under a law signed this week by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The ignition interlock device will keep the car from starting if the driver's breath shows more than a small amount of alcohol in the blood.
The law will be tested in a six-year pilot project in Sacramento, Alameda, Los Angeles and Tulare counties. It goes into effect July 1, 2010.
"We must do everything we can to ensure the public's safety on the road," Schwarzenegger said after signing the bill. "By installing ignition interlock devices we are making it harder for DUI offenders to get behind the wheel while intoxicated and we are working to save innocent lives."
The American Beverage Institute, a restaurant trade association, had urged Schwarzenegger not to sign the bill, calling the locks intrusive and saying the state should target repeat offenders.
Read the full story at Sacbee.com
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