TOUGHER penalties for repeat drink drivers or people caught in high range drink driving will be introduced by the WA Government next month.
From October 24, drivers caught with a blood alcohol content of 0.15 or more, or cause death or injury where driving under the influence was an element will be forced to use alcohol interlocks on their vehicles.
The offences also include people who are caught driving under the influence twice within five years and people who fail to provide a breath sample to WA Police.
An alcohol interlock is a breath testing device which would be installed into the ignition of passenger vehicles, motorcycles and heavy vehicles.
The driver must provide a breath sample below a specified reading before the vehicle will start and randomly timed tests would also be required during the journey.
In addition to this, interlock restricted drivers need to present their vehicle to an authorised provider every month to have their performance data monitored.
Interlocks would not be removed until interlock restricted drivers successfully met all the requirements of the WA Alcohol Interlock Scheme.
Smart Start Interlocks is one of three companies being considered to become a certified supplier of the interlock system.
Owner John Doherty spoke to WAToday and said the device would not inhibit any existing functions of the vehicle other than the starting circuit which connects into the indicator and horn for warning signals.
Mr Doherty said participants would be contacted by an agent to come back and collect their car and watch videos and do some training on using the device.
Mr Doherty said the systems are leased on a monthly-payment basis, with participants having to pay an installation fee.
The WA Road Safety Commission expect 4000 to 6000 high level and repeat offenders will have an alcohol interlock each year at a cost of around $1600 over six months.
The WA Road Safety commissioner Kim Papalia said drink driving was a factor in around one in five fatal crashes in WA, and one in ten serious injury crashes.
“Death and serious injury on our roads needs to be confronted,” he said.
“Drink driving is a factor in more than 20 per cent of fatal crashes in WA and that is unacceptable.”
Last year the WA Drug and Alcohol Office released data which showed that in 2013 there were 137 fatal and hospitalisation required crashes in the South West where the driver was under the influence of alcohol.
In more than seven per cent of those crashes the driver had a blood alcohol content of more than 0.05.
