Trooper Hammons Answers Questions About DWI Interlock Devices

Trooper Stephen Hammons, Public Information Officer for State Police Troop I visited 'Mornings With Ken and Bernie' today and answered questions from e-mail sent in by KPEL NewsJunkies.

One listener asked if a person required to have an ignition inter-lock device on their personal vehicle due to a DWI conviction would be required to have such a unit on a work vehicle especially an ambulance or fire truck?  To that Trooper Hammons said,

Yes, you would be required to have the inter-lock device on your personal vehicle and any other vehicle you would be driving...Another part of the equation is if you get caught driving a vehicle without the inter-lock device and you are required to have it, you will be arrested.  Not ticketed.

According to Hammons the inter-lock device is not only required when the vehicle is started,

I think it's every 15 minutes or so you have to blow into the inter-lock device to prove that you have not been drinking since starting the vehicle or you didn't just have a sober vehicle blow into the unit to start the vehicle for you.

Another NewsJunkie e-mail questioned the laws concerning a person driving after brain surgery after a stroke and seizure.  Hammons replied,

We are not usually updated on medical conditions of drivers but while investigating an accident the driver had a seizure during the crash or other medical condition that led to the crash.  In those cases we fill out a driver review form and submit it in to Office of Motor Vehicles so they can decide whether or not that person can keep their driver's license or not.

 

You can listen to the interview by clicking here: