DUI tester keeps drunk drivers off the road - WALB.com, Albany News, Weather, Sports

DUI tester keeps drunk drivers off the road

  • More WALB News10 HeadlinesMore News Headlines

  • Friday, May 24 2013 9:30 AM EDT2013-05-24 13:30:13 GMT
    Information from GA Pundit- Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield soldiers began Memorial Day observances Thursday. Several Gold Star Families - who like the Bookers have lost a family member to conflict
    Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield soldiers began Memorial Day observances Thursday. In 2013, Georgia lost 26 armed services members who gave their lives for us and their names were read in the State Capitol as part of our observance of Memorial Day.

  • Friday, May 24 2013 9:01 AM EDT2013-05-24 13:01:21 GMT
    LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. (AP) - Legal woes are piling up for the leader of Georgia's Democratic Party. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (http://bit.ly/199UTSo) that a lawsuit filed in Gwinnett County
    A lawsuit filed in Gwinnett County this week accuses Mike Berlon of failing to distribute nearly $1 million from a trust he created for a friend and his son.

  • Thursday, May 23 2013 11:45 PM EDT2013-05-24 03:45:38 GMT
    A Cordele man is out of jail tonight, accused of stealing thousands of dollars worth of jewelry from his former employer. Crisp County Investigators say 25-year-old James Aultman stole more than $10,000
    A Cordele man is out of jail tonight, accused of stealing thousands of dollars worth of jewelry from his former employer.
    •   

December 30, 2004

Valdosta - Cranking your car is simple. All you have to do is turn the key and you're on your way. But one device is making it a little more difficult for drunk drivers. "They're not going to drink alcohol of any kind and drive because the device absolutely won't let you do that," said Dennis Irby.

It's called the LifeSafer Interlock, a device that according to Georgia law, must be installed in the vehicle of a repeat DUI offender for six months. Before a driver can take off, he must pass the breathalyzer test or the car won't start. "You must also pass the test every 3 to 15 minutes while you're driving, that prevents the individual from stopping somewhere and getting a drink when they're driving around," said Irby.

Dennis Irby installs the devices and says the response from offenders is usually the same. "They say 'I wish I'd had it on the first offense because then I would've learned what my body does and I wouldn't have repeated it'," said Irby.

The LifeSafer is so sensitive to alcohol, it even detects mouthwash and cold medicine. For example, I rinsed with Listerine and tried the device about two minutes later. I failed the test not just once, but again when I took the test five minutes later. "It's a zero tolerance system," said Irby. "The purpose of this program is to prove that you want your license back and you're not going to drink and drive."

Something that must be proven to keep the offender and everyone else on the highway safe.

posted at 3:20 P.M. by ashley.harper@walb.com