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3 times Pennsylvania makes people install IIDs in their cars

Getting arrested for a driving under the influence (DUI) offense may lead to numerous consequences. Some people spend time in jail, while others end up on probation. Most people convicted of a DUI end up paying fines and losing their driving privileges temporarily.

Some drivers are even required to install an ignition interlock device (IID) in their vehicles when they regain their driving privileges. An IID is a device that requires someone to perform a chemical breath test before starting their vehicle, and it maintains records of test performance.

Drivers not only need to pay to install an IID, but they also have to pay to maintain and recalibrate the device. When can the state of Pennsylvania insist that someone convicted of a DUI install an IID in their vehicle?

After repeat offenses

If someone has prior DUI convictions on their record, that will influence how a judge sentences them when they plead guilty or get convicted of a subsequent offense. The criminal penalties increase with each DUI charge, and so does the duration of the license suspension ordered after someone’s conviction. Those with multiple DUI offenses on their record are often subject to an IID requirement when they initially regain their driving privileges.

After an offense with a high alcohol level

Chemical breath tests can show that someone is over the legal limit and may sometimes show that they have had far too much to drink. The limit for a motorist’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is 0.08%, and anyone at or over that limit is potentially subject to arrest. If someone accused of impaired driving had a BAC of 0.16% or higher, Pennsylvania law permits a judge to require the installation of an IID in their vehicle because of the elevated BAC at the time of their arrest.

After a breath test refusal

The third situation that often gives rise to an IID requirement for a driver is that they refuse to perform a breath test during the traffic stop. A violation of the implied consent law that requires breath testing doesn’t always lead to a DUI conviction, but it can impact the state’s case against a driver in a couple of ways.

When motorists understand the circumstances in which they might face extra penalties after a drunk driving arrest, they will potentially have an easier time making safety-conscious choices. Fighting back against a DUI is one way that drivers can protect themselves from the expensive and embarrassing requirement to install an IID in their vehicles.

 

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