The courts will impose numerous penalties when someone is convicted of an impaired driving offense in Tennessee. A driving under the influence (DUI) charge can lead to incarceration or probation and also large fines. It is also common practice for the state to suspend someone’s driver’s license if they get convicted of impaired driving or refuse to take a breath test.
When someone hopes to regain their driving privileges after a DUI offense, they will often have to install an ignition interlock device (IID) in any vehicle they intend to drive. An IID is a breath test system that requires a test before someone can start their vehicle. What do Tennessee drivers need to know about the IID program in Tennessee?
They have to pay for the device
It usually costs a couple of hundred dollars to install an IID in a vehicle, and there will also be monthly calibration and maintenance required. The driver subject to an IID requirement will need to cover the cost of installing and maintaining the device in their vehicle and any other vehicle they intend to drive before they regain their full driving privileges.
Driving another vehicle can lead to arrest
Someone allowed to drive because they agree to install an IID in their vehicle cannot legally drive other vehicles until the state removes the restrictions on their license. If they get pulled over in a vehicle without an IID installed, they may end up arrested and could lose the limited privileges previously granted by the state.
The device has a camera built in and keeps records
Tennessee’s IID rules include a requirement for the test device to have a camera. This requirement helps reduce the possibility of an intoxicated motorist having someone else perform the test on their behalf because they know that they will fail.
The records of someone’s performance on IID tests will be available to the state because the device maintains those records. Although many people use an IID to establish a recent history of good driving decisions, some people can complicate their legal situation by making mistakes when they have an IID installed in their vehicle. Seeking legal guidance and learning more about IIDs and other DUI-related consequences may benefit those who have been recently arrested based on allegations of intoxication at the wheel.
