Bert Parnall was recently quoted in an article by the Santa Fe New Mexican which covered the topic of U.S. Senator Tom Udall wanting “new vehicle tech to combat drunken driving.” This article covers some of the latest technology to combat drunk drivers, such as improved breathalyzers and finger scanners which detect BAC levels, which Senator Udall would like to introduce into the state’s police force.
As one of the representatives of the New Mexico chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Bert Parnall was asked to give his thoughts on the matter of ignition interlocks being required in new vehicles. In the article, he is quoted as saying:
[S]tate Department of Transportation figures show 164 people died as a result of drunken-driving accidents in 2014. He said the technology could reduce the mortality rate in the state because it improves on the concept of the ignition interlock device.
Interlocks, Parnall said, usually are only installed in vehicles of those who have already been convicted of drunken driving. But Parnall argued that offenders often drive drunk before they’re ever arrested. The new technology could prevent them from ever driving drunk in the first place. And he said it would be “good public policy” to require the devices in most vehicles.
“It’s really got the potential to reduce drunken driving,” he said.
To read the full article, head to the Santa Fe New Mexican’s website here.
