Drugged Driving Driver Can't Get Ignition Interlock License?
January 1st, 2009
Effective January 1, 2009, the Washington State Legislature passed a new law which provides a certain amount of relief for a driver who has been arrested for DUI and whose license is suspended because of a conviction for DUI. Whereas previously, such a driver would have had to endure a "waiting period" before he or she could apply for an occupational license, the new law contains no such provision and potentially could save the jobs of some citizens for whom loss of license, however temporary, would be devastating. Recall that there are several ways a person might be arrested for driving under the influence: driving after consuming a sufficient amount of alcohol to impair one's ability to drive, and driving after consuming drugs that impair driving. The new ignition interlock law only references "alcohol-based" arrests, bass leaving the driver who was arrested for driving under the influence of drugs to suffer license suspension without the opportunity of an ignition interlock license. Whether this was the intention of the legislature remains to be seen -- apparently a fix to this legislation will be proposed this year. However, in the meantime, a driver who is convicted of DUI/drugs will not be able to obtain an occupational license and will not be able to obtain an ignition interlock license. This curiosity is one more example of how highly complex for DUI laws have become.
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