Facing drunk driving charges can come with several layers of frustration. In addition to time trying to resolve the charge, you may have other hoops to jump through on the road to getting your license reinstated.
After a drunk driving charge, you may need to have an ignition interlock device installed on your vehicle. While these are relatively simple devices, people make some common mistakes when they are getting used to using them.
These are some of the most common mistakes people make with ignition interlock devices (and how you can avoid them).
Staying overnight
One of the common solutions to having too much to drink at a friend’s house is to stay overnight. In many cases, you can sleep off your drinks and be ready to drive in the morning.
You may need more time to process the alcohol in your system when you have an ignition interlock device on your vehicle. You should be especially cautious if you are drinking late into the night and early morning or if you drink a lot in a short time before going to bed.
If you have an ignition interlock device on your vehicle and you plan on having drinks with your friends, you should plan on finding a sober ride regardless of when you are planning on going home.
Old habits
Regardless of the weather, you may be in the habit of starting your vehicle either to warm it up or cool it down before leaving your home. While you may be sober and ready to drive, you should not leave your car running and unattended when you have an ignition interlock.
Starting your car is not the only time you will need to breathe into the interlock device. There will be other times while you are using your vehicle that you will need to submit a random test. If you leave your car running, you could miss an alert for a test and create the assumption that you refused to submit to testing.
While the ignition interlock process can be cumbersome, it can be one way to maintain your ability to drive while you deal with the other complications that come with drunk driving charges.
