If there is one thing that is a kick in the butt about getting a dui in Florida, is that certain people convicted of driving drunk may have to have ignition interlocks installed on their vehicle(s). This can be a real pain and the thing is they are not even full proof to prevent you from driving drunk again.
Most people if they are convicted 2 times for a dui in Florida, the judge will most likely order you to use ignition interlocks on your vehicle, I am no judge though and every judge has their own methods to set penalties for driving drunk. It will also help if you have a Florida dui attorney as they may be able to help. For 1st timers you may be subject to have one if your BAC was .015 or higher, or if you are under the age of 18
So what exactly is a ignition interlock? Well it basically makes you take a type of breathalyzer before you are able to start your engine, although it has been said that they are not as accurate as the ones the police use out in the field. It is basically connected to your ignition switch, you blow into it, and if you have below 0.2-0.4 blood alcohol content, then your engine will start. If you have been drinking, say maybe even a beer, then it will not start.
If you happen to have a car that stalls sometimes, you will not have to blow into the interlock device again for at least a couple of minutes. After that grace period ends though you will have to blow into it again though to start your car. There are many manufacturers of these devices so many of them will be different, as some will let the driver know that they have to blow into the apparatus again after driving for a certain distance or a certain period of time.
There are a lot of cons though when it comes to these devices. One being that anyone can blow into them to get the engine to start, so it is not anywhere near full proof of stopping the person that was convicted of the dui to drive drunk again. The person could always drive another car that is not theirs, but they are just asking for trouble if they do that.
When you are convicted of a dui in Florida and the court ordered you to have a ignition interlock device installed in your vehicle, you will get a “P” on your driver’s license. That means you are only allowed to drive the vehicles that have the device installed for you only.
If you have been arrested for a dui in the state of Florida but not yet convicted, your best bet is to get a Florida dui attorney to represent you. They deal with dui cases day in and day out and usually know how the judges in the local area carry out sentences. Florida dui attorneys may be able to help you get out of having an ignition interlock installed on your vehicles.
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