[intellicar] drink detector says no

Good idea, infringement of personal liberties or are these women just plain MADD? They want their hubbies’ cars to refuse to start if the said hubbies are drunk.

While devices that check a person's blood-alcohol level and disable a car are in use, it could soon be universal. Arizona is currently among 20 states requiring repeat offenders to use the device, called an alcohol ignition interlock. Last year, New Mexico became the first state to make them mandatory after a first DUI conviction. The device also tells authorities when the driver is avoiding using it. It can be programmed so that the offender must use it at specific times.

According to the Mothers Against Drunk Driving, or MADD, Web site: "An alcohol ignition interlock is a breath-test device linked to a vehicle's ignition system. When a driver wishes to start his or her vehicle, he or she must first blow into the device. The vehicle will not start unless the driver's alcohol concentration is below a preset blood-alcohol concentration."