A very interesting study was just released by researchers at the University of Michigan. They looked at drunk driving accidents, drunk driving deaths, and the use of ignition interlock devices, and they concluded that if ignition interlock devices were installed on every vehicles in the United States, it would actually save the country hundreds of millions of dollars and spare tens of thousands of lives over a 15-year period.

While that certainly seems like a fantastic way of saving money and cutting back on unfortunate traffic fatalities, it is also important to point out the negative impact of ignition interlock devices.

In their current form, ignition interlock devices create a bunch of issues for the people who must have them on their cars. The individual usually has to pay for the device and for the installation of the device. The device could cause unfortunate situations from there for the individual. For example, what if the driver’s breath is altered somehow or the device malfunctions, causing an incorrect reading on the device and preventing the individual from driving?

These devices simply aren’t as simple and straightforward as they may seem, and the act of implementing them on a national scale certainly seems ambitious, to put it lightly.

But whether these devices are more widely used or just implemented based on the status quo, they are an important issue when it comes to a DUI arrest. These devices can complicate a person’s already-complicated life in the wake of a DUI.

Source: Insurance Journal, “Drunk Driver Ignition Locks Offer ‘Significant’ Benefits, Savings: Study,” Alexandra Mondalek, March 20, 2015