Drunk driving penalty and distracted driving

If you have been arrested for and charged with an operating while intoxicated or driving under the influence offense in Michigan, you may understandably be concerned about what consequences you may experience if you are convicted of this charge. One of the things some people face is the loss of their driving privileges. Depending on the nature of the offense, you may be able to reinstate your driving privileges if you use an ignition interlock device. Some charges may require you to use an IID as part of your penalties.

Car and Driver magazine explains that an ignition interlock device prevents you from starting your vehicle until you pass a breath test, essentially proving you are not under the influence of alcohol at the time. What many people do not know, however, is that once you start your vehicle, you will be required to take even more breath tests while operating your vehicle at the same time.

The distraction inherent in holding a device into which you must breath while reading the display and focusing on the instructions cannot be ignored. In fact, many accidents have been linked to a person’s participation in these rolling retests. This may put a person in an odd situation as they must engage in a dangerous behavior in order to comply with a penalty associated with another action deemed to be dangerous.

If you would like to learn more about how to protect your rights after you have been arrested for a suspected impaired driving offense, please feel free to visit the drunk driving defendant’s rights page of our Michigan DUI, OWI and criminal defense website.