As previously predicted in the Alabama DUI Lawyer Blog, Alabama is close to pushing through legislation that would require certain drunk driving convicts in Alabama to install ignition interlock devices on their vehicles, the Shelby County Reporter says.

The move by lawmakers makes it all the more important to aggressively defend a DUI arrest. Year after year, legislators move to increase penalties for drivers convicted of drunk driving. It’s inevitable that as time passes, these charges will become more and more important to defend against. That’s why you need a Birmingham DUI lawyer who can work to lessen the possible penalties for a conviction.

According to the news report, the bill passed the House with a 90-0 vote and now moves on to the Senate with support. Alabama is the only state in the country without an ignition interlock law on the books.

The devices hook up to the vehicle requiring the driver to blow into a tube and register a blood-alcohol level lower than the .08 limit. They work similarly to breathalyzer tests, which also register blood-alcohol levels based on a person’s breath.

If it passes, the bill would require repeat DUI offenders in Jefferson County to install the devices on their vehicles, likely at their own cost. The device would be required for first-time DUI offenders who had a .15 or higher blood-alcohol level, if a child under 14 was in the vehicle or if someone other than the driver was injured.

Alabama DUI penalties are already steep. Even a first-time conviction can cost you thousands in fines and fees, see you spending time in jail, require you pay for DUI school and cost you your driver’s license for a year. As convictions mount, so do the penalties. That’s why defending even the first DUI is important for your future.

A simple arrest, which doesn’t prove guilt, can mean ridicule in the community, cost you your job, make getting a job difficult and cause other hardships. Protect your rights and protect your future. Call today.

As previously predicted in the Alabama DUI Lawyer Blog, Alabama is close to pushing through legislation that would require certain drunk driving convicts in Alabama to install ignition interlock devices on their vehicles, the Shelby County Reporter says.

The move by lawmakers makes it all the more important to aggressively defend a DUI arrest. Year after year, legislators move to increase penalties for drivers convicted of drunk driving. It’s inevitable that as time passes, these charges will become more and more important to defend against. That’s why you need a Birmingham DUI lawyer who can work to lessen the possible penalties for a conviction.

According to the news report, the bill passed the House with a 90-0 vote and now moves on to the Senate with support. Alabama is the only state in the country without an ignition interlock law on the books.

The devices hook up to the vehicle requiring the driver to blow into a tube and register a blood-alcohol level lower than the .08 limit. They work similarly to breathalyzer tests, which also register blood-alcohol levels based on a person’s breath.

If it passes, the bill would require repeat DUI offenders in Jefferson County to install the devices on their vehicles, likely at their own cost. The device would be required for first-time DUI offenders who had a .15 or higher blood-alcohol level, if a child under 14 was in the vehicle or if someone other than the driver was injured.

Alabama DUI penalties are already steep. Even a first-time conviction can cost you thousands in fines and fees, see you spending time in jail, require you pay for DUI school and cost you your driver’s license for a year. As convictions mount, so do the penalties. That’s why defending even the first DUI is important for your future.

A simple arrest, which doesn’t prove guilt, can mean ridicule in the community, cost you your job, make getting a job difficult and cause other hardships. Protect your rights and protect your future. Call today.