Every 2 hours, a Wisconsinite is affected by drunk driving. Here's how some state lawmakers are working to change that

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Wisconsin has some of the country's highest drunk driving rates, with nearly 26% of drivers admitting to getting behind the wheel while under the influence, according to state lawmakers.

But at the same time, the Badger State also has some of the most lenient drunk driving laws.

Now Senator Chris Larson, (D) Milwaukee, and Representative Deb Andraca, (D) Wisconsin, are working to sponsor their "Ignition Interlock" bill which focuses on preventing drunk driving incidents by implementing ignition interlock devices (IID's). 

On Thursday, Sen. Larson held a press conference with the Milwaukee Fire Department and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) to showcase the latest legislative push.

Officials said in Wisconsin, somebody is affected by drunk driving every two hours.

“It’s only a matter of time when you’re out on the road before this is going to affect you or somebody that you love," Larson said.

According to a news release, state data from 2022 shows that about a third of all traffic-related deaths were due to impaired driving from alcohol and more than 23,000 drivers were convicted of an Operating While Intoxicated (OWI) offense.

“Over 770,000 Wisconsin drivers have at least one OWI, that’s about one in five drivers across the state," Larson said. 

Plus, officials said nearly one-third of first offenders go on to reoffend, with some estimated to have driven impaired at least 80 times before they were caught by law enforcement.

Larson added that state laws currently treat a first offense OWI "as a traffic ticket."

"[It] results in little to no consequence if the driver has a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of less than .15%," the release said.

“If we’re not going to be stopping preventable deaths, what are we doing here?” Larson said.

That's where the IID's come in. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the IID's reduce the chance of repeated drunk driving offenses by nearly 70% nationwide. 

“In 2021 in Wisconsin, 199 people were killed in drunk driving crashes, said Erin Payton, the regional executive director for MADD. “Interlocks have prevented over 410,000 attempts to drive drunk with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or greater in Wisconsin.”

With IID's, state legislation requires a positive identification of a driver using camera technology and instant responses and data transmission through cellular technology. 

Drivers must blow into the device for a certain period of time. When the sample is analyzed, if the user passes, their car's ignition will start.

An IID also requires rolling retests -- the first of which comes five minutes after the vehicle is up and running. After that, the tests come up randomly.

Passengers or other occupants of the vehicle will also not be able to blow for the driver, as the camera for the device has a "full view" of the entire interior, reaching to the backseat.

If someone is caught on camera taking the test for the driver, still images are sent to monitoring authorities.

These devices aren't new. In fact, Wisconsin current law requires those with two or more OWI offenses with a BAC level of .15% or greater to only drive vehicles equipped with IID's.

This proposed legislation expands the requirement to all convicted of OWI offenses that involve alcohol usage.

It's also not the first time that the senator has tried to pass this bill.

Despite years of attempts, Larson said he hasn't been able to get a Republican colleague on board. 

When asked "why" Larson deferred to those who have declined in the past.

“Take the bus. Take a Lyft. Take an Uber," Larson said. "Find another way home.”