SB 1046, signed by former Governor Jerry Brown, went into effect in January 2019.  With this new law, people convicted of a DUI will have to install an ignition lock device for a specific period of time before getting their full driving privileges back. Important to note, the ignition lock device is essentially a breathalyzer. The driver is required to breathe in before they start their car. Furthermore, the car won’t start if they aren’t sober.

It should be noted that first time offenders who don’t cause any injuries can choose six months of the ignition lock device or a restricted license for one year.  A restricted license allows you to drive only for driving to and from work, for work related purposes during the work day, and to and from the alcohol school you are ordered to attend. That’s it. Thus, if you drive beyond that you are considered to be driving with a suspended license.

Second offenders and first offenders who injure others are both mandated to use the ignition lock device for one year. For three time offenders, the device is mandatory for two years. Finally, anybody who is a four time offender or more must use the device for three years. Although, if you are a four time offender, you should seriously consider whether you want to drive at all. Not driving is a slight inconvenience that is still better than being arrested, charged, or convicted for voluntary or involuntary vehicular manslaughter. Accidentally hitting someone with your car while drinking isn’t a good thing.

While frequent drinkers almost certainly won’t like this new law, it is important to remember that this law is meant to minimize the chance of someone getting a DUI again. It’s also supposed to reduce the total amount of DUIs and people driving under the influence in California. Certainly, having an ignition lock device on your car to prevent you from driving while drunk will save lives. Therefore, it will be interesting to see if the actual numbers of DUIs in California goes down in 2019.

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Knowing which recent laws have taken effect is essential to making sure you follow the law and that you don’t violate the rights of someone else. If you have been injured in an accident that was caused by someone who was violating a law, you may have legal rights to recover compensation. Call the Phoong Law Corp at  1-866-GOT-PAIN to schedule a free consultation or visit their website for more information www.phoonglaw.com.