Ignition Interlock Bill Approved for Repeat Drunk Drivers

THAT YOUR APRIL 1ST, APRIL FOOL'S. THAT'S NOT A JOKE. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. A STATE HOUSE COMMITTEE TODAY APPROVED A BILL THAT WOULD MAKE IGNITION INTERLOCK DEVICES MANDATORY FOR REPEAT DRUNK DRIVERS. SUPPORTERS SAY THAT'S A MUCH QUICKER WAY TO SLOW DOWN DRUNK DRIVING IN MINNESOTA. WOULD IT AFFECT A LOT OF PEOPLE? REPORTER: YOU KNOW WE LEARNED IN TESTIMONY THAT IT WOULD MAYBE THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE. THE BILL REQUIRES ANYONE CONVICTED OF DRUNK DRIVING FOR A SECOND TIME TO INSTALL A DEVICE LIKE THIS ONE, IF THEY WANT THEIR LICENSE BACK. IT REQUIRES THEM TO BLOW INTO A TUBE AND THE CAR WON'T START IF IT DETECTS ALCOHOL. NOW, HERE SOME OF THE SURPRISING NUMBERS MORE THAN 600,000 MINNESOTA DRIVERS HAVE A DWI ON THEIR RECORDS BUT IT'S REPEAT OFFENDERS THIS BILL IS AIMED AT. ONE IN SEVEN DRIVERS IN MINNESOTA HAS A DUI, ONE IN 16 HAS TWO OR MORE AND ONE IN 35 HAS 3 OR MORE. THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT ISSUE. IT CAN BE REDUCED SIGNIFICANTLY. THE STATES OF THAT MOVED TO MORE SIGNIFICANT IGNITION LAWS HAVE SEEN SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS. REPORTER: SOME OF THE STATES HAVE SEEN PRETTY BIG REDUCTIONS IN DRUNK DRIVING BECAUSE OF THIS. RIGHT NOW DRIVERS ONLY HAVE TO USE A DEVICE IF THEY'VE HAD 3 DWIs IN FIVE YEARS OR FOUR IN TEN YEARS. SO REQUIRING IT FOR ALL DWI DRIVERS ON THEIR SECOND OFFENSE WOULD BE REALLY A PRETTY BIG DEAL, FRANK. YOU WOULD THINK IT WILL LOWER IT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE 1 IN 16 OR 17 BUT HOW MANY REPEAT OFFENDERS MIGHT THERE BE OUT THERE. 1 IN 6 IS 89,000 PEOPLE IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA. A REPRESENTATIVE SAID TODAY ON SAINT PATRICK'S DAY THE STATE PATROL STOPPED 482 PEOPLE AND TICKETED THEM FOR DWI, AND 55 OF THEM, THAT'S A LOT 55 OF THOSE PEOPLE WERE DRIVING DRUNK ON A REVOKED LICENSE OF THAT'S WHO THIS WOULD BE AIMED AT AND IT COULD AFFECT MANY, MANY PEOPLE IN THE STATE. I ASSUME THE OFFENDER WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR IN A. ABSOLUTELY.