If your loved one has been convicted of a DUI in Mississippi, you are already witnessing the consequences that the state hands down for drinking and driving. There are attorneys to consult, court costs to pay, and a very high possibility of your loved one losing their vehicle… perhaps the same vehicle you rely on to get back and forth to work. Mississippi understands the “family car” is vital for survival, however, and even with a DUI conviction and the possibility of a car being impounded or immobilized, you may have another option: an ignition interlock device.
Taking away a vehicle is a pretty solid way to make sure a drunk driver can never repeat a crime. It seems simple, except that the rest of the family cannot make it to school, work or doctor’s appointments. With everyone affected by the lack of transportation, recovering from a DUI is much more difficult. That’s where an ignition interlock comes in: it’s a solution for keeping a driver sober behind the wheel, while allowing life to resume as normally as possible.
However, if there is an ignition interlock on the family car, that means that each person who can legally drive the vehicle needs to know how to operate the device. Not submitting a breath test will only reflect on the DUI offender’s record, as will tampering with the device or having any amount of alcohol detected. If that is the case, the car could still be immobilized or impounded, the ignition interlock requirement could be extended or your entire family could lose your chance at an easier road after the DUI dust clears.
Being a witness to a DUI does not mean you were actually in the vehicle when the incident occurred. You could be the person who was waiting for your spouse to arrive home, only to get that dreaded call from jail. Keeping your life together after another person’s DUI in Mississippi is as easy as using an ignition interlock, with the benefit of keeping your own freedom after their drunk driving conviction.
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