WA government introduces alcohol interlocks

The WA government is to introduce alcohol interlock system legislation that will require repeat drink drivers to pay for installation and maintenance of an alcohol interlock for their vehicle that will prevent drunk drivers from starting their vehicle.

The devices would be fitted to the vehicles of drivers once they have already served their drink driving penalty or successfully apply for an extraordinary driver’s licence and would be in place for a minimum of six months.

Their vehicles would only start if the driver blows under 0.02 and would come at a cost of around $1600 to the driver.

“Once a driver blows under 0.02 the vehicle will start; however, it may require periodical retests during the journey,” Harvey said.

“The scheme will capture first-time offenders convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol and repeat drink drivers who have been convicted of two or more drink driving offences within a five-year period.”

Alcohol is a factor in about one quarter of fatal crashes and one in 10 serious injury crashes on Western Australian roads.

The financial cost of those injuries is estimated to be about $460 million a year.

The Bill will amend the Road Traffic (Authorisation to Drive) Act 2008 to allow the making of regulations that will establish a mandatory, administrative, performance-based alcohol interlock scheme, incorporating alcohol assessment and treatment measures.