Sweep nets 22 convicted drunk drivers for ignition interlock violations

A Rockville Centre resident was among 22 arrested in a sweep targeting convicted drunk drivers who allegedly attempted to bypass required ignition interlock devices in their vehicles. The arrests were announced by Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano and District Attorney Kathleen Rice at a Monday news conference.

  The two-week sweep, conducted by the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office in conjunction with Nassau’s Department of Probation, used surveillance on convicted drunk drivers to ensure their compliance with the law. Offenders required to have ignition interlock devices are not permitted to drive in any vehicle without them, and must pay for the device.

  Ignition interlock devices became mandatory for any drunk driver sentenced on or after August 15, 2010. The device requires the driver to pass a breath test in order to start the vehicle, as well as “rolling retests” until the vehicle is stopped and turned off. If the device detects alcohol on the driver’s breath, the horn will honk, the lights will flash, and the driver is instructed to stop the car. In some cases the police may respond to investigate. In all cases, a notice of violation will be sent to Probation, the DA’s Office, and the court. In addition, the vehicle will enter “lockout” mode, preventing the car from starting if the driver does not report to the service provider.

  Some of the drivers in the sweep were caught leaving their homes, but most were arrested after driving illegally to meet with their probation officers. The Department of Probation and the DA’s Office will continue to conduct spot checks on convicted drunk drivers. A judge can sentence each of the defendants to up to a year in jail if convicted, as well as re-sentence them on their underlying DWI case.

cent of first time drunk drivers in New York State will reoffend,” said Mangano. “The power of ignition interlock technology is that it prevents convicted drunk drivers from starting their vehicles if they have been drinking. ”  

“Ignition interlocks protect innocent drivers and pedestrians by forcing drunk drivers to prove that they are sober when they get behind the wheel,” Rice said. “These arrests should send a clear message that law enforcement is watching convicted drunk drivers closely, and this sting is just the beginning of a broader effort to ensure compliance with the ignition interlock law.”