Impaired Driving in Calgary Can Lead to an Ignition Interlock
You've read a lot on this site about the potential consequences of an impaired driving or DUI charge in Calgary, including the potential for fines, mandatory alcohol and driver safety education classes, and even criminal penalties including jail time. The law takes drunk driving very seriously, and it's a big public safety concern, as well, for everyone on Calgary's roads.
One of the penalties prescribed by Alberta's impaired driving laws, and that many people convicted of DUIs in Calgary have had to contend with, is an ignition interlock. This DUI outcome has been mentioned here before, and it might not seem especially important compared to license suspensions, imprisonment, and other possible DUI outcomes, but these devices can be far more disruptive than you might think.
A DUI Ignition Interlock Device WILL Change Your Life
Ignition interlock devices require drivers to blow into a breathalyzer, and if the machine detects a BAC over a certain threshold it prevents the vehicle from starting. The idea is to keep drunk drivers off Calgary streets by making it impossible for their cars to function.
This seems like sound logic, and if they worked that simply and effectively ignition interlock devices might be a sound way of dealing with DUI convictions. The problem is they rarely work that simply, and they can make life far more difficult for those convicted of impaired driving offences than the law intends.
Malfunctions in these devices are common. At best, when an ignition interlock device reads a false positive, that is, when it determines that a driver is past the breath/blood alcohol content threshold, it results in the inconvenience of not being able to start your car at necessary times. This can cause problems with your job, impair your ability to tend to family obligations, and potentially leave you stranded.
At worst, a false positive can lead to additional legal complications, leading to reports of repeat drunk driving attempts that are completely erroneous. This can keep Calgary citizens at the mercy of the courts for years following a DUI conviction, regardless of the time limits on punishments spelled out in Alberta's impaired driving laws.
There is not only the stigma associated with a drunk driving conviction that follows drivers required to use ignition interlock devices, but the ongoing threat of further legal problems without any further transgressions on the driver's part. Unfair and unjust though this may be, it's one of the ways a DUI offence in Calgary can seriously disrupt your life.
A Calgary DUI Lawyer Can Help You From the Start
A single mistake shouldn't cause legal problems for years, and shouldn't put you at the mercy of faulty technologies that can disrupt your life and livelihood. If you're charged with impaired driving, contact DUI defence lawyer Susan Karpa to protect your rights and interests from the beginning of your case.
Don't let an ignition interlock device become an indefinite and disruptive part of your future. Get help fighting for the justice you deserve, and make your defence as effective as possible.