(The Center Square) – Arkansas’ rate of repeat drunk driving incidents for offenders with an ignition interlock device was 5.6% over a recent four-year period, according to a new study by the Governors Highway Safety Association.
All states have a program for ignition interlock devices, known as IIDs. The devices prevent a vehicle’s engine from starting if alcohol is detected on the driver’s breath.
The recidivism rate was higher in Arkansas than in the neighboring state of Tennessee, which has a 1.7% repeat rate for drivers with the devices, according to the study.
GHSA partially attributed this disparity to Arkansas’ lack of a Compliance-Based Removal law.
“Thirty-three states and D.C. have lifesaving compliance-based removal laws for ignition interlock devices. While that number is encouraging, it also means that 17 states – Arkansas included – leave citizens in danger by failing to outline compliance standards for when IIDs can be removed from the vehicles of drunk driving offenders,” Sabra Rosner, the Senior Vice President of Legislative Affairs for CST Holdings, which funded the study, told The Center Square. “Drunk driving tragically claims the lives of 37 Americans every day, an epidemic that must be stopped in its tracks.”
Arkansas is among the minority of states that do not have a CBR law. CBR laws dictate drivers with an IID installed in their vehicle must have a certain number of violation-free days before the device can be removed, GHSA said.
Rosner said stronger regulations and more states adopting compliance-based laws were some of the most effective mitigation measures against repeat drunk driving incidents.
Alcohol-impaired driving deaths nationally jumped up by 31% from 2019 to 2021.
There were 10,196 deaths attributed to drunk driving across the U.S. in 2019, compared to 13,384 deaths in 2021, according to the study.
“While the action item is clear, an all-hands-on-deck approach is certainly needed to stop impaired driving,” Rosner told The Center Square. “This includes heavy enforcement of roadways by police officers as well as awareness campaigns from governments, educational institutions, and families regarding the consequences of drinking and driving.”
