The alcohol interlock is coming to cars , the device that drivers fined for driving with a blood alcohol level above 0.8 g/l will be required to install. Fifteen months after the law came into force, the operational phase has begun: the Ministry of Transport has published the list of installable models, dealers, and authorized workshops on the Motorist Portal.

The cost for installation would be around 2,000 euros per car .

HOW IT WORKS – An alcohol interlock is a system that prevents the vehicle from starting unless the driver passes a breath test. The engine will only start if the alcohol level is zero.

Authorized installers will play a crucial role, applying a special seal to prevent any tampering. In the event of a roadside inspection, the driver will be required to present the original installation certificate and the device's valid calibration certificate. Installing the alcohol interlock will not require updating the vehicle's single vehicle registration document.

WHO MUST INSTALL IT – According to the new article 125 of the Highway Code, paragraphs 3-ter and 3-quater, the obligation applies to holders of driving licences bearing the following Union codes:

68 – “No alcohol”: the driver may not consume alcohol before driving;

69 – “Drive only with alcohol interlock”: may only drive vehicles equipped with the device.

These codes are imposed by the prefect following a definitive conviction for driving under the influence of alcohol with a blood pressure level higher than 0.8 g/l.

Specifically, those convicted of a blood pressure level between 0.8 and 1.5 g/l (mandatory for 2 years) must install an alcohol interlock device at their own expense; those convicted of a blood pressure level above 1.5 g/l (mandatory for 3 years or more, as determined by the Medical Commission) must install one.

The obligation concerns all vehicles driven by the subject, and therefore if the car is used by more than one person the effect also extends to those who have not been fined.

DOUBTS – Many doubts about the device had already been expressed upon the code's launch by AIPE, the Italian Association of Damage Appraisers, which stated that the Ministry of Transport's decree on the alcohol interlock "contains some critical issues that could give rise to legal disputes and appeals by motorists." Federcarrozzieri also criticized the device: "As is well known, the Italian car fleet is very old, with nearly 22% of vehicles on the road being over 19 years old. Therefore, there is a real risk that installing alcohol interlocks on many particularly older vehicles will be technically impossible."

(Unioneonline)

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