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Pastimes : Clown-Free Zone... sorry, no clowns allowed -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Lucretius who wrote (277593)	2/18/2004 11:17:32 PM
From: Tom Swift	Respond to of 436258

State Mulls Drunk Driving Locks on All Cars Wed Feb 18, 9:06 AM ET Add Oddly Enough - Reuters to My Yahoo! SANTA FE, N.M. (Reuters) - New Mexico is considering a law that would make all drivers exhale into an alcohol detection device in their cars before they could start the engine. The New Mexico House of Representatives on Monday passed a bill to require an ignition lock that will prevent a car from starting if the driver fails a breath test. The bill is being debated this week in the state's Senate. New Mexico has one of the highest rates of fatalities caused by driving under the influence in the United States and the bill would mandate the ignition lock to be installed in all cars sold or registered in the state by 2009. One of the devices available now costs about $1,000. It works by requiring a driver to blow into a tube that detects the presence of alcohol. If no alcohol is detected, then the car's ignition unlocks. "It's not just about prosecuting criminals but stopping drunk driving before it starts," said Ken Martinez, a Democratic representative who sponsored the bill. Critics of the bill called the cost of the device prohibitive, adding the measure would penalize people who do not drink and drive by forcing them to buy an expensive gadget. According to advocacy group Mothers Against Drunk Driving, New Mexico ranked fifth among U.S. states in the percentage of traffic fatalities caused by drunk drivers. "People called seat belts and air bags inconvenient at first but it's just an issue of getting used to it. I think in the long run it will save money and lives," Martinez said. Comment: It would cost virtually nothing to buy a balloon with the right humidity to fool the sensor.