South Carolina law requiring ignition interlock devices for all convicted drunk drivers takes effect Sunday

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCBD)- Any person convicted of drunk driving in South Carolina will have a temporary breathalyzer installed in their vehicle under a new law going into effect this weekend.

The bill, dubbed the “All Offender Law” was signed into law by Gov. Henry McMaster last year. It requires ignition interlock devices to be installed in the vehicle of any offender convicted of Driving Under the Influence (DUI) or Driving with an Unlawful Alcohol Concentration (DUAC), regardless of their blood alcohol level.

It expands on a 2014 law that required the devices for drunk drivers convicted of multiple offenses or those who were at least two times over the legal limit.

“That difference is huge when it comes to protecting public safety and saving lives,” said Steven Burritt, the regional executive director for Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).

“For the first time in nine years, we can tell the people of South Carolina: Our DUI laws are about to get tougher. Think even harder about the decisions that you make before getting [behind] the wheel after doing anything that will impair your driving,” Buritt continued.

The devices prevent a vehicle’s engine from starting if alcohol is detected on the driver’s breath.

“Once it’s placed on there, they do not get an opportunity to drive without blowing into the device. That prevents them from actually driving if they fail the test. Once they fail the test we are notified so this is that added step that prevents them from getting on the highways and driving and possibly hurting or injuring someone else,” Jodi Gallman explained.

Gallman, the acting director for the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole, and Pardon Services, said there are nearly 1,100 drivers currently enrolled in the program, a figure the department expects will at least double.

“We welcome that challenge because we want them off the streets,” she said.

Statistics show South Carolina has one of the highest rates of drunk driving fatalities in the country. The Palmetto State saw 474 alcohol-impaired driving deaths in 2022, an increase of 68 deaths from the previous year. Nearly half (43%) of all traffic fatalities in the state in 2022 were alcohol-related, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In 2023, there were 367 deaths and roughly 3,300 injuries as a result of DUI crashes in South Carolina, according to state law enforcement officials.

“Every one of these collisions, every one of these injuries, and every one of these deaths was preventable,” South Carolina Department of Public Safety Director Robert Woods said.

Woods added that while the law by itself won’t “solve the DUI problem,” the agency believes it will act as a “much-needed deterrent” for those who choose to drink and drive.

Offenders are responsible for paying to install the device, which averages between $70 and $150, but the state’s probation agency can cover the cost in certain circumstances.

The law goes into effect on Sunday, May 19.