Alcohol (inter)lock

Description
The system checks the alcohol intoxication of the driver (breath test) when starting the vehicle and prevents the start of the vehicle when driver is intoxicated. During driving, the system also checks intoxication at specific intervals and takes preventive actions with pre-warning.

Impacts
Alcolock has been reported to reduce recidivism (repeating a driving while intoxicated crime) from 15 to 69 % while it has been installed in a car. The effects on accidents involving drivers under the influence of alcohol depend on the proportion of drivers having an alcolock in their cars. At present there are only few studies available about longer term effects, when alcolock has been removed from the user's car.

Studies

The results of the evaluations show a recidivism reduction of about 28-65% in the period where alcolock is installed compared with the control groups who were not using the alcolock.	The results are based on a literature study.	Department of transport, UK	2004	The effects of breath alcohol ignition interlock devices in cars.Department of transport, UK.
Five of the six studies found interlocks were effective in reducing DWI recidivism while the interlock was installed in the car. In the five studies demonstrating a significant effect, participants in the interlock programs were 15%–69% less likely than controls to be re-arrested for DWI. The only reported randomized, controlled trial demonstrated a 65% reduction in re-arrests for DWI in the interlock group, compared with the control group.	The results are based on a literature study.	Coben J. H. , Larkin, G. L.	1999	Effectiveness of Ignition Interlock Devices in Reducing Drunk Driving Recidivism. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Volume 16, Issue 1, Supplement 1 , January 1999, Pages 81-87