Happy New Year

Happy New Year from everyone at The Law Office of Paul Stuber! As the new year is now upon us, here is some useful information on changes from the Colorado Motor Vehicle Department regarding Ignition Interlock devices.

Ignition Interlock is a device that is installed on motor vehicles to prohibit individuals from operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. It requires your breath sample before the engine will start and you are periodically required to provide breath samples while driving. If the device detects an elevated alcohol concentration level the vehicle will not start.

Important!  Legislative mandates effective 01/01/14 have significant changes to previous laws involving alcohol violations, Persistent Drunk Drivers (PDD) and the Ignition Interlock program.  Those changes include:

·         The reduction of the Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) on a chemical test from 0.17 to 0.15 to designate you as a Persistent Drunk Driver.

·         The refusal of a chemical test at a traffic stop on or after 01/01/14 will now result in a Persistent Drunk Driver designation.

·         If you have refused a chemical test prior to 01/01/14 and were previously ineligible to reinstate early with Interlock, you may now either finish serving the remainder of your revocation and reinstate with full driving privileges, or serve at least two months and apply for early reinstatement with Interlock for one year.  You are not eligible for Financial Assistance in this case.

If you have multiple alcohol violations or refusals on your record, the wait time for early reinstatement with Interlock has been reduced to one or two months, respectively. For more information on ignition interlock devices please contact us today at 303-442-6448.