The empty promise of “one size fits all” on trivial items like hats and bathing suits almost always ends with headaches and embarrassment. So why are Connecticut legislators trying to apply this approach to our high-stakes criminal justice system?
Sentencing guidelines generally encourage judges to increase the degree of punishment in accordance with the severity of the crime. But some Connecticut representatives want to handcuff judges when it comes to drunken driving cases. If their proposal should become law, any person charged with impaired driving — including first-time offenders one sip over the drinking limit (and in some cases even below the legal limit) — would be saddled with a punishment generally reserved for repeat-offending, hard-core alcoholic drivers: ignition interlocks.
These devices act as in-car breathalyzers to prohibit a vehicle from starting if its driver’s breath registers above a pre-set blood-alcohol content (BAC) limit.
Because of their cost, intrusiveness, and failure rate, interlocks have traditionally been ordered only for those convicted of multiple drunken driving offenses. But Senate Bills SB151, SB691, and SB732 would dramatically expand in-car breathalyzer sentences to include first-time offenders.
And just who are these first-time offenders?
A 120-pound woman who enjoys two glasses of wine over a two hour period will reach the legal limit. According to numerous studies, she is less impaired than a driver talking on a hands-free cell phone. But some Connecticut legislators believe this woman deserves the same punishment as a multiple offender or someone who has had 10 drinks prior to driving.
That’s like punishing someone for driving 5 miles over the speed limit the same as someone driving 40 miles over.
Bills like these are part of a little-known movement that seeks to mandate ignition interlock technology in all cars as standard equipment in the United States. This may sound far-fetched, but it’s already underway.
Several states — New York, Pennsylvania, and New Mexico — have gone so far as to propose “universal” legislation for mandatory interlocks in every car. Toyota, Nissan, Saab, and other car companies are already developing new interlock technology to be installed as standard equipment.
That’s not anti-drunks, it’s anti-drinks.
Sarah Longwell is the managing director of the American Beverage Institute in Washington, D.C.
