After two DUIs, Jose Angel Becerra had two options. One was to have his license suspended.
The other was to change his life so he could continue to drive his 10-year-old son to school.
He chose his 10-year-old son.
Months after he earned his second alcohol-related conviction, Becerra voluntarily installed an ignition interlock device. He hasn’t had a drink since.
Beginning July 1, people convicted of a DUI in Tulare County won’t get the choice. They will be required by law to install the equipment.
The pilot program focuses on counties with high numbers of drinking problems. Tulare County was most likely chosen because it adds a rural setting with high DUI conviction rates, Department of Motor Vehicles officials say.
The law also affects Sacramento, Los Angeles and Alameda counties.
“Alcohol has been around for a very long time, and we are still trying to find a way to handle it,” said Superior Court Judge Walter Gorelick. “The problem now is people are getting into cars with the potential of killing someone.”
Becerra contacted the DMV earlier this year and decided to install the Smart Start device in his Nissan in April. The Avenal man says he is happy the program is starting, saying he hopes others will learn from their mistakes.
“This has changed everything for me,” Becerra said. “I will install one in my son’s car when he can drive so I can sleep at night and feel safe.”
The DMV estimates that more than 3,000 offenders will be subject to the new law in the first year in Tulare County. That is more than 30 times the number of offenders who currently have ignition interlock devices installed.
It’s estimated that more than 45,000 Californians will be required to install devices in the first year of the pilot law, which runs through 2016.
The question is, will the device work to deter drinking and driving?
“The alcohol classes don’t seem to work that much. We get a lot of repeat offenders,” said supervising probation officer Chris Dushane. “But this might actually work. It’s not a bad thing.”
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