Not so shockingly, funding to help low-income DUI offenders in Washington afford ignition interlock devices has apparently dried up. The subsidy comes from fees paid by DUI offenders purchasing an ignition interlock device. Somehow, it appears, the money for the program was somehow funneled into a separate account for prison inmate treatment programs during the last budget.
Typically, it currently costs around $150-per-month for an offender to maintain an ignition interlock device on his or her car. The state subsidy from the Ignition Interlock Revolving Account provides offenders with approximately $80-per-month. Obviously … that is a huge savings.
An Ignition interlock device requires a driver to blow into an apparatus attached to their ignition so as to prove they are not impaired before being able to drive their car; it allows DUI offenders to keep their vehicles, and for them to be able to drive while their license is otherwise suspended.
With more than 2,000 drivers losing the state subsidy to pay for a device, many folks may be forced to not drive due to being in a suspended status, or alternatively (as the government is concerned about) drive without a device and while on a suspended status. Lest it be said, the government is scurrying to find a solution to this IID subsidy dilemma.
If you or a loved one is in a bind as a result of a DUI, immediately contact a Seattle DUI attorney. A DUI lawyer is not going to judge you, and understands that everyone makes mistakes. Hiring a Seattle DUI lawyer to help can – at a minimum – reduce those penalties, and can help direct people on how to best deal with their DUI charge. So it should go without saying that someone cited for DUI should hire a qualified Seattle DUI lawyer as soon as possible. Driving Under the Influence charges can cause havoc on a person’s personal and professional life. Anyone charged with DUI in Washington State should immediately seek the assistance of a seasoned Seattle DUI lawyer.