Official: Ignition Locks Deter DUI in Massachusetts

Massachusetts Registrar of Motor Vehicles Rachel Kaprielian says a 4-year-old law that requires ignition locks on convicted drunken drivers’ cars has been successful in reducing the number of repeat offenders.

Kaprielian tells The Boston Globe that more then 4,000 Bay State drivers have been required to use an ignition interlock device on their cars since tougher drunken driving laws went into effect in 2006.

The law requires those who have been convicted of a second offense to have the device installed in their cars. They must breathe into the devices before the car will start.

Registry statistics show that of the hundreds of drivers with the devices, only 30 have been arrested and convicted a third time.

Defense lawyers question the accuracy of the devices.