Harrisburg, Pa. - Should ignition interlock systems be mandatory for first-time DUI offenders? State lawmakers heard from both sides of the issue on Wednesday.

Right now in Pennsylvania, the locks are the law for drivers with multiple DUI convictions. Before turning the ignition key, the driver blows into the device, which reads their blood alcohol level. If the level is too high, the vehicle won't start.

Rep. Paul Clymer, R-Bucks, has introduced legislation that adds first-time offenders. Eight other states have similar laws.

"In the state of New Mexico, their death rate dropped by 26 percent." Clymer said.

Members of the House Transportation Committee heard from a researcher who testified that most first-time offenders are not first-time drinkers.

"We know that those first offenders, a third to a half will re-offend in their lifetime. So this is not a low risk group," said Robert Voas of the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation.

But the American Beverage Institute called the bill unfair to casual drinkers who get caught. The lobby group wants interlock decisions left to a judge on a case by case basis.

"We have a problem enforcing existing laws and in the face of that the response shouldn't be 'let's expand laws to marginal first time offenders.' It doesn't make sense," ABI director Sarah Longwell told lawmakers.

PennDOT and Mothers Against Drunk Driving both support the bill. The measure is expected to move out of committee sometime this summer.

 

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