maximizing alcohol ignition interlock law …€¦ · the interlock program to provide...

MAXIMIZING ALCOHOL IGNITION INTERLOCK LAW IMPLEMENTATIONTuesday, April 2, 2019Ali Edelstein, Kentucky Distillers’ Associationali@kybourbon.com

Who I am

■ Louisville native

■ Corporate responsibility professional

■ Director of Social Responsibility for Kentucky Distillers’ Association

■ Kentucky Office of Highway Safety Impaired Driving Task Force participant

■ Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility –2017 Kevin E. Quinlan Award for Excellence in Highway Safety recipient

IID Case Study: Kentucky

2015 – Senate Bill 133

Unlikely partnerships and conversations

2019 – Senate Bill 85

Where Kentucky Started

■ In 2015, several individual groups lobbied to pass Senate Bill 133

■ SB 133 started an IID program that– split program administration

between the courts and KYTC– requires IIDs for repeat and

high BAC offenders

■ By 2018, the program was still underutilized

Year Total Clients

Number of Times Device Prevented Car From

Starting at .02+

2016 845 10,396

2017 1,436 13,424

2018 (first half) 1,406 8,919

We Began Asking Questions

■ Judges

■ County Attorneys

■ Department of Public Advocacy

■ Kentucky Transportation Cabinet

■ Mothers Against Drunk Driving

■ Coalition of Ignition Interlock Manufacturers

■ Do people need training?

■ Why aren’t judges ordering it?

■ Why aren’t offenders applying?

■ Who is monitoring users’ reports?

■ What’s happening when they don’t comply?

■ Why aren’t we using Best Practice X? Y?

We Found Interesting Answers

■ Justice system was confused by how the statute was written

■ They felt the process was too bureaucratic and burdensome

■ Kentucky Transportation Cabinet was willing to manage

■ License suspension periods were lower than IID times

■ There was a non-refundable $105 application fee

■ No one was reading the users’ reports

■ No expectation for them to comply

■ No one had been asked

We Collectively

Drafted Senate Bill 85

1. Makes IIDs available to all DUI offenders in Kentucky to increase program accessibility,

2. Provides Low Income Assistance to those at 200% of poverty or less to ensure affordability,

3. Lengthens license suspension period for offenders who forego IIDs to incentivize participation,

4. Requires a period of sober driving before exiting the interlock program to provide accountability,

5. Makes recovery programs Medicaid eligible and allows them to count as day-for-day credit towards the suspension to encourage treatment, and

6. Shifts program administration from the courts to the state transportation agency to ensure consistent application between counties.

We Used Powerful Voices To Champion Senate Bill 85

■ Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee sponsored the bill

■ Kentucky’s signature Bourbon industry announced the bill as its 2019 legislative priority

■ Mothers Against Drunk Driving flew in its National President for lobbying day

■ All stakeholders stood side-by-side for press conference

■ Significant media coverage was captured

We Improved Our Program & Our Process

Program Fixes■ Incentives■ All-offender

■ Compliance-based■ Administrative model

■ Low-income assistance■ Connection to treatment/recovery

Process Fixes■ Involve all stakeholders in

structuring/fixing the program

■ Determine whether it’s training or policy change that is needed

■ Pull local data and national best practices

■ Find legislative champions!

Resources

■ Association of Ignition Interlock Program Administrators (AIIPA)

■ National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

■ Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility (FAAR)

■ Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)

■ MADD’s 2018 Report to the Nation

■ Administrators within your state