|
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.C.R. NO. |
28 |
|
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007 |
H.D. 1 |
|
|
STATE OF HAWAII |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
||
HOUSE CONCURRENT
RESOLUTION
REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO STUDY THE FEASIBILITY OF REQUIRING VEHICLE IGNITION INTERLOCK DEVICES FOR CONVICTED DRUNK DRIVING OFFENDERS.
WHEREAS, the number of alcohol-related traffic fatalities in Hawaii has increased over the past four years, reversing a decade-long decline in the drunk driving fatality rate; and
WHEREAS, Hawaii had the second highest percentage of alcohol-related traffic fatalities in the nation in 2005 at a rate of 51.7 percent; and
WHEREAS, while enforcement of existing laws governing alcohol-impaired driving have had an impact on alcohol-related traffic fatalities, this action alone may not be sufficient to bring about substantial improvements; and
WHEREAS, one method of deterring drunk driving is to prohibit an impaired driver from operating a vehicle by disabling the physical operation of the vehicle; and
WHEREAS, an ignition interlock device is a device that is connected to a vehicle's ignition system, which prohibits a vehicle from being started until the driver of the vehicle passes a breathalyzer test that is connected to the device; and
WHEREAS, by attaching ignition interlock devices to the vehicle of individuals who have been convicted of violating Hawaii's Operating a Vehicle Under the Influence of an Intoxicant (OVUII) laws, those individuals cannot operate their vehicle until the breathalyzer produces a qualifying breath sample; and
WHEREAS, recent advances in ignition interlock technology have increased the device's effectiveness and resistance to tampering; and
WHEREAS, as an enforcement tool, many jurisdictions currently have laws requiring the use of ignition interlock devices on vehicles of persons convicted of violating drunk driving laws enforcement, and these jurisdictions have experienced a decrease in the number of impaired drivers on their roadways and the number of alcohol-related traffic fatalities; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2007, the Senate concurring, that the Department of Transportation (DOT) is requested to study the feasibility of requiring the installation of vehicle ignition interlock devices on vehicles of convicted drunk driving offenders, including exploring and recommending procedures for the introduction of ignition interlock technology to Hawaii; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that DOT, in collaboration with Mothers Against Drunk Driving – Hawaii (MADD-HAWAII), establish a working group of appropriate governmental and other community agencies, including the county prosecutors and State Attorney General, to provide input into this study and any procedures developed for the use of ignition interlock devices; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that DOT submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than 20 days before the convening of the Regular Session of 2008; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Transportation, Attorney General, offices of the county prosecutors, and the Director of MADD-HAWAII.
Public Safety; Ignition Interlock Devices; DUI; Study